


Monsters Live Within (But I'm Not Afraid)

by shiningloki



Series: The Tale of Ice and Roses [2]
Category: Loki - Fandom, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies), Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Alice is back, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anger, Angst, Blow Jobs, Bondage, Brothers, Bruises, Crying, Cunnilingus, Doggy Style, Dom Loki (Marvel), Drama & Romance, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Gentle Kissing, Gentle Sex, He loves Alice, He loves his wife a lot, He's also a little shit, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Jotunn | Frost Giant, Knifeplay, Light Dom/sub, Loki & Thor Friendship (Marvel), Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Loki Is A Good Husband, Loki is sad, Love, Making Love, Making Out, Marriage, Married Life, Married Sex, Multiple Orgasms, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Riding, Romance, Rough Sex, Sequel, Sex, She's a badass, Smut, Spanking, Tears, Teasing, Threesome, Threesome - F/M/M, Top Loki (Marvel), Touching, True Love, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Violence, a lot of crying, loving loki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-13 09:15:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 51,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21491932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiningloki/pseuds/shiningloki
Summary: Loki thought he deserved peace. He fought many wars, he reclaimed royalty, and he somehow fell in love with, and even married, a  certainly fierce human. Oh, and he killed Thanos where he stood.So, Loki believed he deserved some sort of calm and quiet in his life. Yet, he could not be so lucky. When Queen Ingrid of Jotunheim visits Asgard with the promise that Loki can be King of Jotunheim, he adamantly declines.He never wanted the throne, right?But Queen Ingrid is not so easily convinced. Through the use of dark magic, the Queen seals Loki in a dangerous fate he never believed was possible.The only person who might be able to save Loki is his wife, Alice. After all, she’s been to hell and back with Loki. Why not do it again?*Can be read without reading Shatter This Glass And Set Me Free but reading it would be helpful*
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Reader, Loki/Original Female Character(s), Loki/you, Tom Hiddleston/Loki/Original Female Character(s), Tom Hiddleston/Loki/Reader, Tom Hiddleston/Reader
Series: The Tale of Ice and Roses [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1549057
Comments: 88
Kudos: 235





	1. Frigga's Gardens

**Author's Note:**

> And we are BACK! Wow, it feels so weird to revisit this story after working on Behind Locked Doors for so long. But now that we're back at it, hi! Welcome back! If this is your first time here, welcome to the little word of Loki and Alice. You don't need to read Shatter This Glass and Set Me Free to understand this work but it DEFINITELY would help as there are SEVERAL references to events that occurred in that story. If you chose to skip that fic, then here's a short summary of what you need to know going into this fic:
> 
> Thanos killed Loki in exchange for the space stone. Years later, Loki's fiance, Alice (a young woman with the power to manipulate the elements) jumps back in time with half of the Avengers to change the events of the Snap. After successfully convincing 2012 Loki to fight against Thanos, Alice returns to her new future where Loki lives and the Snap never happened. Only the few Avengers who travelled back in time recall what happened on their timeline before the snap. Due to being a god, Loki, too, can recall this original timeline despite having died on it. After Alice returns to her new future, Loki and her get married and begin their new lives on Asgard.

It took several years for the Council of Jotunheim to rebuild itself after King Laufey’s sudden and unexpected death.

Though they rejoiced the falling of King Laufey, they were not ready for it. He was a cruel king that sought out war. And while the Frost Giants weren’t opposed to violence and bloodshed, they only wanted it on their terms. So, when they discovered he had died within the halls of Asgard by an Asgardian himself, the Frost Giants wanted to elect this man King, whoever he should be.

It became apparent that it was a hand of royalty who slaughtered Laufey. They were aware that it had to be an Odinson had killed King Laufey, and they had an inclination as to who, but they could not touch him – the Dark Prince. He had fallen from the Bifrost, at least that was the rumor, and their murmurs of electing him as new leader vanished. A dead man could not be a king.

A new queen rose in the wake of this. Her name was Queen Ingrid – first Queen of Jotunheim – and she seized the throne through manipulation and control. While this would normally be respected in Jotun culture, the people still wanted the Dark Prince. He had defeated the vicious King Laufey! He must be worthy of a throne. 

The Frost Giants did not respect her. Whether that was because of her gender or her lack of being the Dark Prince, she could not tell. She did her best to foster trade but the other realms still turned their backs on the Jotuns, leaving Queen Ingrid to appear frail and unsuccessful. The little appreciation that the Frost Giants held for her was fading and she felt the foundations that her throne was built upon crumble.

And then, it was discovered that the Dark Prince was alive. He was being housed on Midgard. When the Frost Giants found this out, they practically stormed the palace and demanded entry to the mortal realm. Queen Ingrid laughed – they could not go there, not without freezing the planet. While she didn’t quite care about the mortals, she knew King Odin would surely slaughter her should she harm those precious humans.

So, she developed a plan. It was a marvelous plan but it would take time. She called her people into her throne room and told them that they would get what they deserved but they must wait. They groaned and murmured but reluctantly agreed.

Queen Ingrid would give the Frost Giants what they needed. She crossed her long legs and gave them a smirk. She would not fail.

*

If there was one thing that Asgard had over Midgard, it was definitely the air quality.

Alice always enjoyed the outdoors. On the rare occasion that she would manage to actually find her way outside of Stark Tower, Alice would love sitting out on the balconies and bask in the sun. Loki would often roll his eyes at her, exclaiming that the warm weather was for the weak, and then promptly drag her inside to have her to himself.

And by the time they had permanently resided on Asgard after being wed, and of course after Alice was granted immortality, she enjoyed the radiation from the Asgardian skies even more. There was something refreshing about the air. With every lungful, Alice could almost feel the extra years added to her sparkling with life. 

Loki had told her that it would take roughly five years for her Midgardian body to adjust to its immortality due to the potion that Odin and Frigga concocted for her. Every day she grew stronger, more capable, more aware. However, she was only three years into her transformation. She could feel her senses heightening every day. Alice was beginning to wonder how she survived before without being able to see so many shades of blue and gold in the sky or the tiny furs on the edges of the pink petaled flowers in Frigga’s garden without so much as squinting her eye.

Frigga’s gardens were particularly her favorite place on the realm – aside from hers and Loki’s bed, of course. It was full of those furry pink flowers, and despite the palace towering above them, it gave no obstruction to the perfectly blue and golden skies. When her husband was off doing…whatever royal husbands did, Alice would wander out into the gardens, take off her shoes, and simply relax in the sunlight. 

Speaking of said royal husband, Alice opened her eyes at the delicate sound of grass and soil crunching behind her. She didn’t look over her shoulder – she didn’t need to – Loki would surely make himself known.

“Has the sunlight stolen my rose yet again?” Alice smiled and leaned her head back further, catching as many rays as she could possibly absorb before Loki tugged her inside. She felt his hand slide along her neck as he sat beside her. Alice looked over at him, ever in awe of his beauty.

“You know this is my favorite place to relax after dinner. And actually, you better find the God of the Sun. I’d rather enjoy an evening with him,” Alice said with a wink. Loki’s lip curled ever so slightly into a knowing smirk. He placed his finger under her chin and tilted her face up towards his.

“Goddess, actually. Sol is a sweet woman. I’d never let her suffer your wild needs, darling,” Loki said, a hint of mockery in his voice. Alice rolled her eyes. It had been a few short years on Asgard and she was still learning her lay of the land.

“My wild needs are fueled by you and you know that,” Alice whispered. She leaned in closer to Loki’s lips. “And you love it.”

Loki didn’t answer. He leaned in and kissed his wife. His free arm slipped around her and pulled her closer to his body. Alice gasped and gripped his cheek, running her fingertips over his chilled skin. When Loki pulled away, he ran his hand over the inside of Alice’s thigh, a move he knew she could hardly resist. Yet, ever the clever wife, she knew exactly what he was doing.

“I’m not fucking you in your mother’s gardens,” Alice said as she slid back across the bench. Loki smirked and turned his face towards the sun.

“We’ll see about that,” he mumbled. Alice sighed and shook her head. If there was one thing that had changed during the timeline shift, it was Loki being certainly more vain. 

On their original timeline, Loki had been humbled in Tony’s cells. He’d been forced to fight with the Avengers and live a tragically un-royal life on Earth. After losing Alice to her captors, then to Evig, and then himself to Thanos, Loki was brought to his knees in humility. He had learned to love the most delicate of flowers and that alone had served as Odin’s punishment.

But when Alice went back in time to New York in 2012, she had altered the events of their world to come. Instead of hiding from Thanos, Loki had been given the courage to slaughter his abuser where he stood – well, more precisely, he watched as Nebula slaughtered their abuser where he stood. He was welcomed home with some resentment but Odin had surprisingly pardoned him because of his heroic actions and gave him an open walking path through the realms.

Because of this, Loki traveled to Midgard to find the woman who had saved his life. He had found her, loved her, and when that version of himself remembered the other version of himself and what they went through, it only seemed to make his head swell. He had convinced himself that this was the better version of himself and he had gotten the girl, avoided a life of punishment, and skirted around his self-sacrificial death while still being a Prince of Asgard.

Oh, and a god. Always a god.

His royalty had made him self-elevated, Alice had noticed. She still loved him, he was her husband. She’d never give him up for anything. Yet, she remembered a time when Loki would blush and apologize, and these days his chin had never been held higher.

Perhaps she was happy for him for being so confident. She knew how hard it was for Loki to feel comfortable in his skin. However, another part of Alice missed the way she could make her husband a bumbling mess of love and embarrassment. The love was still there, it was still very much there and had not faded in any form of measurement, yet it had grown mature.

“There must be something wrong,” Alice said with sudden realization. Loki turned to her with his eyebrow raised. 

“Whatever could you mean, my wife?” he asked. Alice shrugged and kicked at some of the bright green grass around her toes. 

“You’ve been sitting outside for about ten minutes without complaining about the sun scorching your poor skin,” Alice giggled. “So either you’re not my Loki or there’s something wrong.”

Loki smiled, a softer version of his smirk, and slid closer to Alice. He wrapped one arm around her and held her against his chest. His other hand rested over her chest, feeling her heartbeat thrum beneath her skin. He said a silent prayer to the Norns whenever he felt her heartbeat, knowing that with her immortality, it wouldn’t stop beating far too soon. She was stronger in this Asgardian form – her skin more durable, her bones denser. He didn’t need to worry about breaking her anymore. He pressed a quick kiss to the crown of her head, thankful for the thousands of years he would now have with her.

“You know me too well, Alice,” Loki said against her hair. “The Council of Jotunheim is coming tomorrow, and despite my…wishes to not be a participant, Odin requires my attendance to the meeting. There will be a feast, however, so at least we have that to look forward to.”

Alice pressed her lips into a tight line. She would never admit how much she disliked when councils from the other realms visited Asgard. They took Loki away from her for days, weeks, and at one point, months. He would come to bed exhausted, too tired to make love and often past the point of Alice herself going to sleep. 

Then, he’d be up far before sunrise and out the door. Alice would see him once a day if she was lucky. Even then he could only exchange a traditional and politically safe kiss to her cheek before passing along. 

She recalled a time when things were like this. Back in her old timeline when Evig was invading and the Asgardians took refuge on the planet of Kilron. Alice spent the sleepless nights waiting for Loki to stroll through the door to their rented room, and eventually became less and less sensitive when he would no longer return.

Alice shook the memory from her head. She didn’t want to think about that time of her life. Instead, she curled her toes in the grass and tried to form words well enough to speak them.

“How long will they be here for?” Alice asked, sliding one of her hands through Loki’s. He sighed and pulled her into his lap, kissing her temples repeatedly. 

“I’m unsure. Thor predicts they’ll be here for quite some time, mainly for me,” Loki mumbled. Alice wanted to look up at him but with the way Loki was holding her, she knew he’d never let her look up to see the emotions on his face. 

“Do you think they want you to come back to Jotunheim?” Her voice was quiet. Loki just nodded slowly.

“Queen Ingrid has been…most insistent on my return to the Realm of Ice. Her warriors are lacking respect for her and she believes that Jotunheim will only flourish properly with a King.” Loki explained. “It is all because I killed Laufey. They want the man who saved them to come to them.”

Alice stayed quiet. She played with Loki’s fingers and thought about the icy Queen Ingrid. She had never seen the Queen of Jotunheim but she knew how enchanting she was. Thor had even heard whispers that the only reason she was not overthrown was because of how alluring she was. It made Alice’s stomach churn to think about this beautiful queen begging Loki to come back to Jotunheim with her.

Alice snorted. Perhaps jealousy was something that even the perfections of Asgard could not whittle away. 

“I am not going to go back with her, my love,” Loki said. “They do not know I’m a Frost Giant. I can always use my weak Asgardian anatomy to defend my choices to stay on this realm.” He finally allowed Alice to look up at him. She stared into his ocean colored eyes, trying to read her husband’s expression. Naturally, as the God of Lies, he was practically impossible to read. Alice ran her fingers down Loki’s cheeks and let her own mischievous smirk grace her lips.

“Good, because she could never do the things I do to you,” Alice whispered before sealing her lips to Loki’s. He sighed into her mouth, delightful to share this moment with her. Even though he himself did not live through the events of Alice’s timeline, he held the memories of the Loki that did. It was times like these, where the realm was quiet, that he remembered the times he had lost her. His present self never knew the feeling, but it still stung deeply within him.

“Let me have you,” Loki whispered against her lips. Alice pulled back and smiled, her hand cupping the back of his neck.

“Always.” Alice grinned back. Loki ushered Alice off of the marble bench, tugging her through the gardens. Alice squealed and dug her heels into the ground, holding Loki back. Loki turned back to her, still shocked at her newfound Asgardian strength.

“Yes, my rose?” 

“I’m barefoot. I can’t run through the palace without shoes on.” Alice pointed to her toes that just barely peeked out through the bottom of her dress. Loki rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers, causing Alice’s sandals to appear on her feet. She nodded proudly and walked closer to him. “That’s much better.”

“Now, may I continue bringing you to our rooms or will you stop me once more for some ridiculous reason such as a lack of shoes?” Loki asked with a wave of his hand. Alice rolled her eyes but placed her hand back into Loki’s, permitting him to drag her along as he pleased.

By the time they reached their rooms, Alice was practically throbbing with need. The second Loki shut the door behind them, he swirled Alice around so her back was pressed to the door. Loki’s hands cupped her cheeks so he could press his lips to hers. He pushed his body forward, trapping Alice between himself and the door.

Alice shuddered against his touch, cooled at the perfect temperature to make little chills run up and down her spine. Alice moaned against him, hands pulling at the leather on his chest. As she moaned, Loki slipped the tip of his tongue into her mouth, tickling her senses and urging her to submit to him. She whimpered and let one hand fall to Loki’s crotch, clutching his bulge in her palm. 

“My good girl,” Loki purred into her mouth. “I want you.”

“You have me,” Alice said with a gasp as Loki trailed his lips down to her neck. She tilted her head back as much as she could with the door behind her, letting Loki have complete access to her sensitive skin. He groaned as he ghosted his lips over her neck before latching onto the spot just over her pulse and nipping sharply.

If there was one thing that never changed about Loki, it was his absolute desire to mark his lover. Every time he touched her, he had the urge to squeeze a bit too hard or bite a bit too rough. He loved the way Alice had to wear certain dresses or style her hair in intricate ways just to disguise the marks he left on her. 

Alice’s fingers wound themselves into Loki’s hair, pulling in the way she knew he loved best. He hissed against her neck, cock hardening in its confinements.

“Bed,” he said, reluctantly releasing Alice from his grip. She smiled at him, kissed him again on the lips, and strolled over the bed. With every step she took, she stripped another layer of her dress from her body. Each feathery green piece fell the ground in puddles of delicate fabric. By the time she reached their massive bed, she was completely naked, utterly dripping, and ready for her husband to take her brutally.

Alice spun around and slid onto the bed, keeping her eyes locked on Loki. His ocean eyes were hooded and dark, swarming with lust and passion – and in between it all, immense love. It was like there was a storm concealed within his irises. Alice laid herself down, arms stretched above her head in the way Loki loved, and spread her legs open to reveal her most intimate places to him.

“My beautiful wife,” Loki purred as he sauntered forward. His clothing disappeared from him in a green wave. When Loki reached her, he sunk to his knees and ran his hands up her thighs. Alice bit her lip as she watched him admire her. He drank her in as if it was both the first and last time he would ever see her.

“Loki,” Alice whispered. Her eyes fluttered shut as Loki’s thumbs brushed over her core. She let out a whine and pushed her hips downwards, desperate for his attentions. 

“Yes, my love?” Loki asked with a playful smirk. Alice gripped the sheets above her and rolled her head to the side.

“Must you make me ask every time?” she huffed out. Loki chuckled and kissed her thigh, suctioning his lips to the side of her knee. By the time he popped his mouth off, a tiny bruise was already forming. He nuzzled the damaged skin and nodded.

“Forgive me. It’s just so much fun to hear you beg,” Loki admitted. Alice sighed and stared down at Loki, challenging him to challenge her further. Finally, Alice sat completely up and cupped Loki’s jaw in her hands.

“Loki, please touch me. Your hands, your mouth, I want them everywhere. And then when you’re done, I want you to fuck me. Use me as you please, and I beg you, don’t be gentle,” Alice whispered. Loki’s lips parted as Alice let herself fall back onto the sheets. She returned her hands to their position above her head and watched Loki dive into her core.

He wasted no time in teasing her. Clearly her confident demands had washed away all of his interest in prolonging this. Loki just wanted her, needed her, and he didn’t have the patience to take his time.

Alice’s back arched off of the bed in the shape of a hunter’s bow as Loki’s tongue attacked her clit. He moaned against her, swirling his tongue in intricate shapes and designs. He slid two fingers up and down her wet seams, dipping in occasionally to tease the edges of Alice’s forever-tight hole. 

“P-Please, Loki,” Alice whimpered through her labored breath. He chuckled against her, his lips closing around her clit. He suckled at her, and when Alice cried out in pleasure, Loki slipped two fingers into her hole. Alice’s eyes widened comically with the overwhelming sensations. She watched Loki devour her, his eyes focused on her face. 

Loki had learned quite quickly that Alice’s face when he was devouring her core was one of his favorite expressions. The first time he had done this to her, he had almost came just from her wild expressions. Even now, his cock was flushed an angry red color, dripping precum from the tip, begging to be shoved deep in her tight channel.

His fingers curled inside of her and he motioned them towards himself. A string of profanities fell from Alice’s lips as her orgasm boiled under her skin. Loki could tell Alice was getting impossibly close to the edge. He flicked his tongue rapidly over her clit, bouncing it around so it was practically buzzing as he fucked her with his skilled fingers.

“I…I need to c-cum. Oh…oh!” Alice squealed. Loki pulled away from her clit for just a moment to kiss her leg and smile up at her.

“Cum.” It was just one word but it was all the permission she needed. Alice’s hands fisted the sheets as she cried out Loki’s name repetitively like a broken record. Loki groaned, tasting her sweetness on the tip of his tongue. As she fell from her high, Loki pulled his fingers out and crawled onto the bed. He rolled Alice over and settled her on top of his waist. “Be a good girl and ride me.”

Alice nodded, her voice still weak from her powerful orgasm. She reached behind her, taking Loki’s cock in her grasp and lined him up with herself. She teased his head around her hole before sinking down on him. Alice tossed her head back and moaned as he filled her up completely. Loki’s hands moved to Alice’s waist, gripping the soft skin in his hands as her core met his hips.

“You’re always so tight. Fuck, I love your sweet little cunt,” Loki hissed as Alice splayed her hands over Loki’s chest. She whimpered as she lifted herself up and fell back down. Her jaw fell down, slack from the pleasure of her husband’s cock delving deep into her.

“Oh, Loki,” she whispered as she began to rock at a faster pace. Loki’s head fell back against the bed, watching his beautiful Alice pleasure herself on his cock. Her eyes fluttered shut as she bounced up and down, attempting to angle herself so Loki’s cock hit her sweet spot.

Loki shifted his hips upwards so he hit that spot for her. Alice screamed out and fell against Loki’s chest. He chuckled into her ear as he kissed her shoulders. Loki propped his feet onto the bed and bucked upwards, fucking Alice in earnest. She whimpered against him, her body trembling in his arms as his cock pounded into her. The feeling of his fingers digging into her skin and the way his hips slapped against hers was causing spikes of pain to run through her body, but that pain only increased the pleasure his cock was giving her.

“You feel so good, Alice. How dare you make me wait so long to have you today. I could spend the rest of our eternal lives with my cock inside of you. Sweet wife, I want to feel you cum around me,” Loki moaned into her ear. As he spoke, he felt Alice clench around him. He knew what his voice did to her and he used it to his advantage.

“I’m close, Loki,” Alice moaned. She pushed herself back up and let herself grind back against Loki’s cock. His hands locked around her waist, maneuvering her so he could reach the deepest, most sensitive regions of her body.

“Go ahead. Cum for me. Let me hear you cry out for me,” Loki purred. Alice’s pussy fluttered around his cock as he thrusted into her three more times before she tightened completely around him and came.

“Loki! Loki, oh gods, Loki!” Alice cried out. Her thighs shook around him, trembling as Loki hit his own high. He groaned Alice’s name out as he pushed himself as deep inside of her as he could, leaking every bit of cum into her as he could manage. 

Alice fell forward onto Loki’s chest, curling into him with tiny whimpers. Loki ran his hand up and down her back as he slowly pulled himself out of her. She whined at the loss, but Loki felt her body relax into his touch.

“I love you,” Loki whispered into Alice’s hair. He smiled at the sweet scent of roses he picked up. Alice hummed and turned her head so she could look into Loki’s eyes.

“I love you too, Loki.” Alice smiled. Loki looked up at the canopy of their bed as he stroked Alice’s back. They lay in silence for what could have been hours before Loki sighed.

“I’m cancelling the board meeting tonight,” he said. Alice scrunched her eyebrows together and sat up on his chest slightly.

“Why?” she asked. Loki smirked and looked back at her.

“I have a feeling the Council of Jotunheim will be taking up much of my valuable time for however long they’re here. I would very much like to spend as much time with my wife as I could,” Loki murmured. 

“I’d like that too,” Alice chuckled. She buried her head in Loki’s neck and kissed his jaw softly. “Thank you.”

Loki simply hummed in response. His arm tightened around Alice as he brought his hand up to her head once he was sure she had fallen asleep. Resting his fingers against her temple, Loki whispered a quiet incantation. It was then he swore to keep her away from the Jotuns as much as he could, fearing more for her safety in that moment than he had in years.


	2. The Feast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm really excited to get this fic rolling! It's going to be short (just over 10 chapters probably) but I'm really eager to show you guys whats in store.
> 
> ALSO! I'll be uploading a NEW Loki fic sometime soon! Unlike our soft, romantic Loki in this fic, this new fic will include a darker, more sinister version of the God of Mischief. Keep your eye out for that one!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for reading!

When she woke up the following morning, Alice was not at all surprised to find herself alone in bed. She knew that Loki would probably get up before dawn in order to ensure his presence when the Council of Jotunheim arrived. However, Alice was surprised to find that her head was throbbing.

Alice first noticed it when she sat up. Her head spun and began to pound as she raised her head. Groaning, Alice lay back down and clutched her head. The pain wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t easily tolerable either. It was the equivalent to having a hangover – which she thankfully hadn’t felt in years. 

She rolled out of bed as best as she could without falling to the floor from the sheets tangling around her. Alice looked down at her nude body, littered with tiny love bites and finger imprints. A stubborn blush wouldn’t leave her cheeks as she searched for a robe to make herself decent. Once she finally had something covering her bare skin, Alice opened the door.

“Eya,” Alice said through the half-opened door. Eya, her young hand-maiden, looked up from her spot in the hallway. She quickly stood up from her settee and ran towards the door. She bowed before Alice in a deep courtesy before looking up.

“Princess, I apologize for not being in your rooms. Prince Loki instructed I wait outside until you called,” Eya explained quickly. Alice waved her hand and opened the door further for Eya to come in. The hand-maiden shuffled into the room and shut the golden door behind her. 

“Don’t worry, Eya. Is that all that Prince Loki instructed?” Alice asked. Eya shook her head and held her hand out in front of her. With a slight shimmer, a bottle of elixir sat in the palm of her hand.

“Prince Loki asked that you take this upon waking up. He said it should help with your headache,” Eya said, holding the potion closer to Alice. Alice lifted an eyebrow suspiciously before taking the bottle into her grasp.

“How did he know that I would wake with a headache?” Alice muttered before downing the liquid. Eya simply stood there with her eyes facing the ground. No matter how many times Alice told her that formalities weren’t needed, Eya refused to treat her as anything less than someone born royal. 

The liquid was cold as it dripped down Alice’s throat. Alice silently blessed her husband and his knowledge of potions. Within moments of the elixir pooling in her stomach, Alice’s headache had almost disappeared completely. Once her vile was drained, her headache was nonexistent. Eya held her hand out for the empty vile and when Alice placed it in her hand, she made it disappear in another shimmery mist.

“Do you know exactly where my husband went?” Alice asked. Eya chewed her lip as she crossed the room to collect Alice’s dressing gowns. 

“Prince Loki has been with the Council of Jotunheim all day. I believe they were in the North Wing,” Eya said, laying out Alice’s gown. Alice crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side.

“All day? But isn’t it only morning?” Alice looked over to the windows to see the curtains drawn tightly across the glass. She crossed the room to the balcony windows. Alice tugged the curtains open to be met with a light created from a blue and golden mixture. She covered her eyes with her hand to block out the sun as her eyes adjusted to the new light in the room. Looking up at the sun, Alice noticed it was already sinking into the horizon. “Eya, what time is it?”

“One hour prior to the evening feast, milady,” Eya said. Alice pressed her lips into a tight line as she swung herself around to look at Eya. The young girl’s eyes widened as she stared back at the floor. Alice ran a hand through her tussled hair, shaking her head.

“A sleeping spell. That bastard put a sleeping spell over me,” Alice mumbled to herself. She walked up to Eya and uncrossed her arms. She placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder and forced her to look up at her. “Eya, I’m not upset with you. And please stop with the formalities. I won’t get mad at you for just calling me Alice.”

“My apologies, Pri…Alice. Shall I dress you for the feast tonight?” Eya asked. Alice nodded once.

“I’ll help,” Alice whispered, picking up one of the gowns that Eya laid out for her. She took a seat so Eya could tend to her hair. As her hand-maiden tried to tackle her unruly hair, Alice thought over why Loki would put her under a sleeping spell. He never used magic on her without her permission. What could have caused Loki to break his own rules?

*

When the guards opened the doors to the great hall, Alice noticed the feast was only moments away from beginning. She mentally cursed Loki, her eyes scanning the hall for him. When she saw him sitting at the end of a long table, casually nursing a goblet of wine, Alice turned to Eya and placed her hand over hers.

“Eya, enjoy the feast. Take the night off,” Alice said. Eya’s eyes widened and she bowed before Alice.

“Thank you, Alice! Thank you!” Eya smiled politely after her curtsey before shuffling away. Alice turned back towards Loki and stormed towards him. She nodded at everyone who bowed slightly as they saw her, but even they could tell that the princess had a fire in her eyes. 

Loki looked up from his cup to see Alice walking towards him with her head held high. He froze momentarily, his eyes wide and confused. But, he quickly masked his disturbance. He smirked at her, raising his glass in cheers. Alice’s eyes widened and her lips tightened. By the time she reached him, Loki had already drained half of the wine in his cup.

“It’s about time you showed up, my love. I was worried you ran back to Midgard,” Loki purred. Alice took her seat beside him and grabbed the cup from his hand. Tossing back a swig of wine, Alice eyed her husband with uncertainty. In all her time being with him, she could easily say that she trusted the man with her life. Yet, at this particular moment, she was unsure of whether she was sitting before her husband or the God of Mischief.

“My apologies for being so late. It seems that someone placed a sleeping spell over me,” she said through gritted teeth. Loki raised an eyebrow as he took the cup of wine back from Alice’s grip.

“How peculiar,” Loki mumbled, raising the cup to his lips again. 

“Why did you do it?” Alice asked. Placing the now empty goblet out beside him, Loki simply shrugged. A young servant ran to his side and refilled the golden cup, bowing slightly before shuffling away.

“I did nothing,” Loki said casually. Alice opened her mouth to protest but was quickly cut off by the sound of the celebration horns beginning to play. Loki stiffened at the sound of the grand music. He gently put his cup down and placed a hand on Alice’s thigh. 

“Is everything alright?” she asked in a hushed tone. Loki didn’t respond. His eyes were trained on the large doors at the front of the hall opening. The room went silent as Odin stood from his throne and gestured to the open doors.

“Asgardians, please welcome our guests – Queen Ingrid and the Council of Jotunheim,” Odin bellowed. The crowd stood from their seats as the Frost Giants entered the hall. Alice immediately felt the temperature in the room drop significantly, and if she squinted, she could almost see frost begin to line the doorway that the giants walked through.

Queen Ingrid was incredibly tall – even with Alice’s short height, she could see the Queen perfectly clear. Her pitch black hair fell down her back and to her knees, decorated with shards of ice holding each intricate braid together. Her black brows were furrowed and her lips were pressed into a flat line, leaving a permanent grimace on her face. Her ruby red eyes looked down her long, pointed nose towards the seemingly small Asgardians. To her, they must have been tiny, considering the Queen stood about eight feet tall.

When Queen Ingrid stopped walking, the rest of her group froze as well. Odin, though raised three steps high, looked Ingrid directly in her eyes, their faces even in height.

“Welcome to Asgard, Queen Ingrid. I hope that tonight’s festivities honor your kingdom and immerse you in welcoming,” Odin said, his head tilting down slightly. Ingrid’s lip twitched upwards, a shade of darker blue than the rest of her. Alice stood quietly, trying to decide whether the sapphire coloring was the natural shade of Jotun lips or if the Queen had applied lipstick.

“Many thanks, Your Highness. Tonight will surely be enjoyable,” Ingrid said, her voice smoother than Alice would have expected. Ingrid glanced over to their table, her eyes settling on Loki before moving back to Odin.

“Let us enjoy our feast, then.” Odin slammed his staff against the marble floor, causing the sound of music to flood the room.

Beside Alice, Loki was stiff the entire dinner. He conversed with the rest of the table with ease, acting as if nothing was wrong. Yet, Alice knew better. She could tell by the way he was touching her thigh and how he was slouched slightly towards her. His eyes would flicker around the room, settling on the Jotuns, before dashing away and pretending as if nothing happened. 

Alice wanted to talk to him about it but she knew it wasn’t the place. There were too many ears and eyes trained on them. But after 18 courses had been consumed by all the guests, Loki held his hand out to Alice. He looked at her carefully before asking in his soothing voice, “may I have this dance?”

Alice carefully placed her hand in his, still unsure of whether or not she wanted to trust her husband. The moment her fingers grazed his, Loki pulled Alice from her seat and led her into the center of the hall.

From the corner of the room, Ingrid watched them with calculating eyes.

Loki place one hand on the small of Alice’s back while the other held her free hand. The Asgardians around them danced in quick, circular motions. Loki mimicked their movements, yet never took his eyes off of Alice.

“Why do you look so afraid, my rose?” Loki asked. Alice looked up at him and shook her head.

“Tell me why you put me under a sleeping spell.” Alice demanded, her lips pursed and tight. Loki scoffed and spun her in a circle, gliding amongst the dancers.

“I’ve done no such thing,” he said. Alice stepped on his foot, causing her husband to wince. He was still not used to this newfound strength of her immortality. 

“Stop lying to me,” she whispered. “Please, just tell me the truth.”

“Darling,” Loki sighed with his eyes shut. He opened them slowly, locking with Alice’s big green eyes and seeing the desperation in them. He swallowed his pride – he could never deceive his wife in all of their time together. His grip on her back tightened. “You must listen closely.”

“Of course,” Alice said quietly. She stepped closer to Loki, pressing her chest to his so he could keep his voice low. To the public, they just seemed that they were two lovers dancing. From the way Loki’s heart was beating, Alice knew there was so much more.

“I do not trust the Jotuns, especially with you. Queen Ingrid is terribly insistent on me going to Jotunheim. I fear she’d stop at nothing to get what she wants,” Loki mumbled. Alice stared at his chest and nodded slowly.

“You think they would hurt me?” Alice asked. Loki swallowed but nodded, his face the perfect mask of happiness as he stared at Alice. His smile was amazingly deceitful to the rest of the grand hall watching them dance, completely unaware of the dangers he whispered to her.

“Yes, I do. Queen Ingrid is terribly savage. It is why I placed the spell over you today,” Loki said reluctantly. “I did not want to but I needed to keep you away from the Frost Giants. You woke up earlier than I expected, honestly. I had planned for you to miss this feast.”

“So you made sure I stayed asleep so I would stay away from them?” Loki nodded. Alice rolled her eyes. “And if they did come for me, how do you expect me to protect myself when I’m asleep?”

“You didn’t think you were alone did you?” Loki smirked. He looked over Alice’s head and spun her around. Alice turned her head to where Loki was looking to see Sif standing in the corner of the room, her warrior eyes watching every movement.

“You had Sif watch me?” Alice asked with a snort. Loki chuckled and caressed her back.

“I did. She’s one of the few people I trust with you,” Loki murmured.

“Why didn’t you just tell me all of this?” Alice asked. Loki spun her once more, weaving through the other dancing couples.

“Because if I told you that I wanted you to stay in our chambers, you would have asked why. Then, when I told you the truth, as your beautiful eyes would inevitably force me to do, you wouldn’t have just sat there patiently waiting for my return. You would feel the need to protect me, and while I am honored, I couldn’t have you risk your safety for mine,” Loki said in admittance. Alice sighed and rested her head on Loki’s chest, shutting her eyes and letting him guide her across the floor.

“Do you think they suspect your heritage?” Alice asked, face pressed against Loki’s hard body. He stilled beneath her, though he continued to move them along.

“For once in my life, I’m terribly unsure,” Loki said. Alice lifted her head to speak but was cut off by a chill running through her bones. Loki looked above Alice’s head and she was sure she heard a growl rumble in his throat.

“Prince Loki,” Queen Ingrid said coyly. “I’ve yet to meet your dance partner.”

Alice turned in Loki’s arms to face the icy woman. She tilted her head up to try and get a good look at the Queen, but the look in Ingrid’s eyes made Alice want to flinch away. Still, she plastered a polite smile on her face and dipped into a curtsey.

“Queen Ingrid, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Alice, Loki’s wife,” Alice said. Ingrid smirked and bowed her head ever so slightly.

“Does your wife not have a formal title, dearest Loki?” Ingrid chuckled. Alice felt Loki’s hand press harder against her back as he pulled her closer to him.

“Princess Alice of Asgard, Goddess of the Earth,” Loki purred. “My wife is rather humble.”

“Humble, indeed,” Ingrid said, looking at Alice down her blue nose. Alice felt her cheeks warm up as she glanced away. Ingrid smirked and stood up even taller than she was. “Now, Prince Loki, I believe you owe me a dance.”

“Do I now?” Loki snarked. Ingrid chuckled and shrugged.

“It is only polite. I am your honorary guest after all,” Ingrid said. Alice could see the eyes of everyone beginning to watch what unfolded. She looked up at Loki and watched the perfectly sculpted grin mold onto his face.

“Of course,” Loki said. He looked down at Alice with hard eyes. “My dear, why don’t you join Sif for some drinks.”

“I believe I should,” Alice murmured. Loki lifted her hand to his lips and brushed a tender kiss along her knuckles. She felt a tingle run through her hand as he placed it against her side. Alice nodded once more at Ingrid before scurrying through the crowd to Sif’s side. 

“She’s a little thing,” Ingrid mused, taking Loki’s open hand and moved robotically. “Still, quite cute.”

“You talk of my wife as if she’s a child,” Loki grumbled, hand resting as lightly as physically possible on the Queen’s waist. 

“She’s definitely the size of one,” Ingrid chuckled. “I’d be terribly worried if someone were to try and harm her. Poor thing can hardly protect herself with those little hands.”

“She’s the strongest woman I have ever known. Her power outweighs many others,” Loki said with a hint of a growl in his voice. 

“The strongest woman you have known? What would your mother say to that?” Queen Ingrid asked. Her red eyes glanced over to Frigga who stood at the front of the room with her hands crossed politely. She observed Ingrid carefully as if she looking directly through the blue woman. Ingrid snorted quietly and turned back to Loki.

“My mother would certainly agree with me,” Loki snarled. Ingrid chuckled and patted Loki’s arm. 

“Queen Frigga is a strong goddess. So incredibly strong that some may see it worrisome,” Ingrid mumbled, her gaze shifting to the ground. Loki watched her work over something in her mind before she lifted her eyes back to Loki. “Though, there is no fear with me for your little plaything.” Loki swung her slightly aggressively, causing the tall woman to lose her footing slightly. She glared down her blue nose at Loki and pursed her lips. “Careful there, my Prince, you are handling a Queen.”

“Take care how you speak of the Princess. She is a goddess and will be treated with respect,” Loki hissed. “And you wonder why she was not at court today.”

“Yes, if she were there, I fear I would step on her,” Ingrid said. “Why do you preoccupy yourself with a mortal?”

“She is not a mortal,” Loki rebutted. 

“But she was. I know your story, Prince Loki, more than you would think,” Ingrid purred ominously. Loki squinted, slowing their movements ever so slightly. “Fell from the Bifrost, controlled by the great Thanos, slayed Thanos, and then stayed on Midgard to fall in love with a tiny mortal. Loki, my dearest, you killed the mad Titan. You were brought back to Asgard to be celebrated and perhaps even crowned, yet you stayed on Midgard. Why belittle yourself as so?”

Loki kept his lips shut as he moved Queen Ingrid across the dance floor. He looked to his side and saw Alice standing beside Sif, their lips moving quickly in discussion. He would not tell the Frost Giant of his other life, the second string of existence he lived before Alice and her Avengers went back in time and changed the future. 

He felt himself remembering that other timeline, the fear and hatred that constantly boiled in his heart. He never had to return to that timeline. He lived happily on this one, an existence where he was never jailed nor scorned by Asgard. Instead, he was celebrated and rejoiced over. He was respected. Loki didn’t need to relive that other life when he had everything he had ever wanted and needed here.

Still, her words were chilling. The Queen stated that she knew more about him than he would think. Was she aware of the split timelines? Only those who went back to the past and the gods were supposed to recall it. Yes, he hadn’t taken the jump himself, for his other self was quite permanently dead, but he knew what his other self had lived through. That was solely due to his godly status. Queen Ingrid was in no way close to a goddess but she was looking at him as if she knew what thoughts were running through his mind. 

And if she knew that, what else could she know?

“My Queen-“

“You’re hiding something, Loki. Odin has been trying to fill his spot as King for years. Thor clearly isn’t willing and yet, you are perfect for the role. Why has he not chosen you?” Ingrid asked.

“Lack of ability, I suppose,” Loki mumbled.

“Oh, that cannot be so,” Ingrid said with a grin. “I have seen you lead the council meetings, my Prince. You are excellent. So politically aware and calm even while in the hot seat. Your brother could never handle it. Even Odin saw how fitting you were in the leadership role. So it must not be that.”

“Then chalk it up to lack of interest,” Loki said.

“But that cannot be true, either,” Ingrid hummed. “You’ve always wanted the throne. Isn’t that why you attacked Jotunheim in the first place? How about Midgard? Well, I know that second one wasn’t entirely you but you want to be seen, to be heard. Wouldn’t a throne give you that? You could have everything you want. You are the perfect fit, and in my opinion, you always have been even prior to the attack on my home realm. You’ve always been born to be King, my dear. The crown would fit your head so beautifully. So why are you being held back?”

“I believe our dance is quite finished, Your Highness,” Loki said plainly. 

“Very well. It was lovely dancing with you,” Ingrid stated. She smiled coyly as she ran her fingertips along Loki’s hand. “Your skin is feeling a bit chilled, my Prince. Best keep yourself warm.” 

Loki’s jaw locked as he stared at the Queen. He felt his stomach drop in anxiety but he sincerely hoped it wasn’t a noticeable feature on his face. Loki concealed his emotions and cleared his throat. He released his grip on Ingrid but the woman grabbed his wrist. She took a single step forward and ran her fingers along Loki’s cheek. She pressed her thumb against his temple and chuckled. She curtsied and folded her arms across her chest. Loki stared at her before stumbling backwards and turning into the crowd, leaving her behind.

She stood there watching his trail as he left and noticed how the room seemed to get just a little bit colder. 

*

When Loki collected Alice and told her that he believed they should retire for the night, she knew that something was wrong with him. It was even more noticeable now than it was at dinner, which was particularly concerning.

He walked too quickly and breathed too heavily for things to be just fine. Alice wrapped her hand around his bicep and stood in front of him, bringing his hasty pace to a halt.

“What did she say to you?” Alice asked. Loki looked around and shook his head. 

“Not here,” he mumbled quickly. Alice pressed her lips together and nodded, letting Loki lead them through the empty corridors. When they finally reached their chambers, Loki let the door shut behind him with a loud slam as he paced around the room. His head felt a bit foggy ever since his dance with Ingrid. He attributed it to the anxiety he was uneasily feeling. 

“Loki?” Alice’s voice was gentle. Little. Loki almost threw up at the word. Ingrid had been so insistent on the powerlessness of his wife. Loki looked at her and noticed her body was slighter, smaller, than he realized. He shook his head and continued pacing he room.

Ingrid’s red eyes remained in his mind. They were too cruel and knowing for Loki’s liking. The way she spoke of him and what he had been through had reminded him too much of that past he had lived through. And then she told him of his desire to be a king and Loki could have scoffed. He had everything he ever wanted right here in this very room.

Yet, he wondered what it would be like still. She hadn’t been wrong when she said that Loki attacked Jotunheim for control of the throne. That was entirely true. Internally, there was a part of him that had always wanted some sort of power. Maybe it was just to prove his equality to Thor – certainly, he had proved that already. But if Thor didn’t want the throne, and Odin was soon ready to relieve himself of it, wasn’t it only right that he stepped in?

On his other timeline, Loki told Alice he didn’t need the throne. This was true, and perhaps it still was on this timeline. He didn’t need the crown or the glory. Yet, a piece of him in the back of his mind wanted it. He heard cruel whispers in the back of his mind telling him about how he deserved it. He didn’t think himself worthy on the other timeline – controlled, jailed, murdered. On this path of his life, however, his name was admired. He had made his mistakes and made amends for them. He was even handling perfect political negotiations with the realm he once tried to destroy. That was precedence for a throne.

His head was hurting. It was pounding. His skin felt a bit colder. It was time he lay down.

Loki crossed the room and collapsed onto one of the plush couches. He held his head in his hands and let out a deep sigh. He heard feet shuffling towards him, and he felt guilty in realizing he forgot Alice was in the room. When she pressed her hand to the back of his neck, Loki could have groaned.

“Talk to me,” she whispered. Loki looked up at her as she stood above him. He reached out and held her waist, running his hands down her sides. Tiny, indeed. Though, as he pressed his hands to Alice’s body, his mind began to feel a bit clearer, his head a bit lighter.

“Queen Ingrid is dangerous,” Loki murmured. He rested his forehead on Alice’s stomach and shut his eyes as she ran her fingers through his hair. “You must stay away from her.”

“What did she say to you?” Alice asked. 

“She kept going on about how small you were, how weak. Then she began musing about why I wasn’t King and why I should be,” Loki said. Alice’s fingers paused their exploration of Loki’s inky hair for just a moment before they continued on.

“Do you want to be King?” Alice was careful with her question. She knew it was loaded but Loki had been quiet for too long to confirm what she suspected.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. Alice sighed and dropped to her knees. She held Loki’s head in her hands and gave him her best smile. 

“That’s okay. I understand,” she said softly. Loki knew what she meant – it’s okay to chase what you want, I will wait for you. Things were different now that he was on Asgard and Alice was accepted as Princess. She was a goddess as he was a god and he could bring her up to the throne with him. She could stand by his side as Queen and he’d never need to leave her behind.

But he knew she didn’t want that. Alice had been the same on both timelines he lived in – and surely, if there was a multiverse, she’d be the same on those too. She wanted the simple things. She just wanted to live peacefully after needing to be a soldier for so long. The role of Queen would damage that peace and cause her immense stress. She wasn’t a political woman and even making decisions amongst the Avengers caused her to become nervous. She would put too much pressure on her shoulders and it would result in her ultimate internal collapse. 

Loki didn’t know what to say so he just kissed her. He leaned over himself and pressed his lips to hers ever so gently. Alice melted against him and pushed herself up, keeping their lips connected and she crawled into his lap. Her arms immediately wrapped around his neck as his moved down to her hips. Sighing, Alice pulled away and rested her forehead against Loki’s.

“I love you,” Loki whispered. Alice blushed and pulled away from Loki, winking down at her husband.

“Yeah, I know.” 

And as the married couple exchanged their sweet whispers alone in their room, a silent body stood outside their door. The time was not right. Things would have to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure when the new Loki fic will be up but it'll probably be sometime later this week or early next week. God, I'm so excited for that one. 
> 
> Comments and kudos are always loved and appreciated <3


	3. Curse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May I just say that the smut in this chapter was so much fun to write? I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Thank you for reading and enjoy!

It was the knocking on the amazingly heavy door that finally roused Alice from her sleep. She cracked open her eyes and blinked a few times to adjust to the light streaming in from the balcony windows. Whoever was on the other side of the door continued their rapping.

“Come in,” Alice said groggily. The door shifted open and Eya walked prettily into the room. She came forward with her hands folded behind her back. There was a heavy blush on her cheeks and her eyes were wide.

“Good morning, milady,” she said with a short curtsey. Alice sat up in bed and ran a hand down her face. She heard Eya stifle a giggle as she raised an eyebrow.

“What has you so worked up, Eya?” Alice asked. Eya pointed her chin towards Alice. She looked down and felt her entire face light up with red. She was nude as the day she was born and was doing very little to conceal it. Alice turned to gather spare fabric from the blankets and noticed Loki was just as naked beside her. Except, he was laying on his stomach and only his bare back was showing. Alice wrapped the blanket around her upper half and giggled. “My apologies.”

“It’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” she said with a tiny smile. “It is the Prince I have yet to see so scandalously.”

“Oh, it’s just his back,” Alice snorted. Eya shrugged.

“Perhaps, but I know precisely why the Prince is in such a state.” Eya winked. Alice rolled her eyes and fell back onto the bed, rubbing a hand over her eyes.

“You are such trouble,” Alice mumbled.

“You asked me to join you on the level of friendship, milady. I am just following your requests,” Eya said. “Now, I just wanted to come in to wake you for the day. You and Prince Loki have slept past breakfast and I wanted to prepare you before your luncheon with Prince Thor.”

“No preparations will be needed today. I think I’m going to milk this sleeping in with my husband thing as much as I can. I rarely get to do this. And no arguing with this, it’s an order,” Alice said, peaking at Eya. Alice rarely pulled the “it’s an order” card with her staff for it never felt right to do so. Yet, as she lay there with Loki breathing gently at her side, curled into himself, Alice couldn’t resist putting her foot down in order to spend this extra time relaxing with him. The little maid stood there stiffly, as if she was doing everything in her power to not fight the princess.

“Yes, Princess Alice,” Eya said. 

“Go on, then. Have the day off. You deserve it,” Alice giggled. 

“The King will have your head for being so free with your servants, milady. You are too kind,” Eya said. She gave Alice a deep curtsey before turning around and shuffling out of the door. Alice waited a few moments after the heavy door slammed shut before rolling over.

She ran a hand down Loki’s back, her fingers dipping between the planes of Loki’s muscles and over the arch of his spine. Her husband’s breathing remained slow and unbothered. She pitied him then, realizing that Loki never truly had the chance to sleep in the way she did. His mornings began before the sun rose and often ended after the sun disappeared. 

Alice felt guilty in that moment for missing her old timeline. She had Loki all to herself – save for the last year or so of their life together. But in that timeline, Loki was punished and chained. He didn’t have the freedoms and respect that he did now which was why he was so available to her. Alice rid the thoughts from her head and just admired how peaceful Loki was. 

Peaceful. It was a nice thing to see. Loki had been so stressed for the past week with the presence of the Frost Giants. Ever since his dance with Ingrid at the feast, he was stiff and cautious. His eyes danced around the room as if he felt someone watching him. And then there was that terrible headache he complained about. Alice spent nearly an hour rubbing her hands along his temples trying to soothe the ache. He had purred under her – then appreciated her greatly with his mouth – but she still could tell something was wrong. 

Much to their disappointment, that headache persisted. She could see how it was making him frustrated and angry. He would come back to their chambers late at night after meeting with the Jotuns, hands balled into fists at his side and an annoyed twitch in his lip. Alice would try to soothe him but he’d end up locking himself away. She would wait, of course, and when he inevitably came out of hiding an hour later, he’d curl up beside her, apologize, then apologize further with his body.

Not that Alice was complaining about that last part. She always enjoyed waking with that familiar ache between her thighs.

Still, she wished it wasn’t anger that led him to love her. The few times she saw him throughout the day, he would be rigid and cold. He’d place a chaste kiss to her temple, run a hand along her back, and continue his conversations with a straight, indifferent face. The presence of the Frost Giants was causing her husband pain and Alice hated to see him this way. 

Alice didn’t like Ingrid, she was sure of it. Even with only one short exchange with the Queen of Jotunheim, Alice got a sour taste in her mouth. She made her husband uncomfortable and she diminished Alice’s worth. When Alice stood with Sif in the feast hall, they had whispered about their concerns with the Queen’s presence. It wasn’t that she was Jotun – that didn’t bother Alice in the slightest. It was solely because of the way her eyes travelled the room as if she was calculating some sort of attack. 

And truthfully, Alice was frightened. She hadn’t seen her husband so stressed and anxious since their time on Kilron in their previous timeline. And the worst part was that there was nothing she could do to help Loki. Even with all of her efforts, her husband’s mind still wandered elsewhere. Sighing, Alice moved her hand up to trace through Loki’s hair, unsure of whether she was trying to comfort herself or her sleeping husband. 

She was running her fingers through his inky hair when she heard the first moan leave his lips. She paused, a few strands caught wrapped around her fingers as Loki’s breathing slowed again. Carefully, Alice continued her exploration of her husband’s body when he moaned again. She smirked and decided perhaps it was time Loki woke up. After all, the sun was already at an angle that suggested it was near noon.

Maneuvering her naked body over him, Alice pushed Loki so he was laying on his back. She paused, smiling when she saw his face. His features were soft and free of concern. His lips were parted ever so slightly and his hair was resting around him like a deep black blanket. His chest rose and fell in time with his slow breathing. Beneath the sheets, his arousal was very clearly evident. 

Alice clicked her tongue as she ran her hands over Loki’s chest. His nose twitched slightly and a happy sigh escaped his lips as she touched him. Loki had adamantly expressed long ago how much he loved waking up to the attention of his wife. He told her that his favorite feeling was opening his eyes and seeing her hands splayed over him and her lips wrapped around his cock. Alice admittedly was incredibly aroused by the act, herself. 

She curled the silk sheets around her fingers and slowly pulled them downwards. Inch by inch, more expanses of Loki’s pale skin revealed itself to Alice’s eyes. She sighed happily, her fingertips scratching along Loki’s hipbones before his cock sprung out from under the sheets. Groaning, Alice leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to the flushed tip of his cock.

“I know you’re sleeping but my gods, I love your cock,” Alice whispered. She wrapped a fist around Loki’s cock and slowly started to pump it, watching beads of precum dribble from the head. Excitedly, she licked up the dew drops with a hum, keeping her eyes locked on her husband’s sleeping form. His eyebrows were scrunched in the slightest, indicating that her gestures were seeping into his dreams. 

The taste of him sent shivers down her spine. Lapping up his droplets, Alice reached up and wrapped her lips around the crown of his cock. She hallowed her mouth and sucked him in, bobbing her head up and down his shaft. He shifted beneath her but his eyes remained shut. She noticed his hands flexing around nothing and she knew it was only a matter of time before he woke up to find her on him.

Alice went further down on his cock, taking as much of him as she could. For the few inches she couldn’t muster down her throat, she pumped with her hand. She moaned around him, relishing in the feeling of his heaviness on her tongue. Loki was all salt and sweetness and he sent waves of arousal down to Alice’s core. She whimpered as she tried to slide further down on him, swallowing as much as she could. She shut her eyes, the tears prickling her eyes as she took him completely down her throat.

“Well, good morning to you too, my love,” Loki’s sinful voice said from above her. Alice’s eyes popped open as she slid her mouth off of his cock. Her chest was heaving as she worked her hand over him. Loki smirked and settled into the bed, resting his head on his crossed arms behind him. “Please, darling, don’t stop on my account.”

“I thought you’d enjoy this little surprise,” Alice mumbled with a wink. She tilted her head and peppered kisses up and down the side of Loki’s cock. He groaned and bit his lower lip, eyes never leaving Alice’s. 

“I enjoyed every bit of your little surprise. From your sweet little touches on my back to your perfectly hot mouth,” Loki said with a chuckle. Alice paused and sat up a bit, her hand paused on Loki’s cock.

“Have you been awake this entire time?” she asked. Loki chuckled and shrugged.

“Ever since you ran those fiery fingers through my hair,” Loki said. Alice snorted and heated up one of her fingers and poked it against Loki’s side. He hissed at the burn from her gentle fire and arched his back off of the bed. Alice smirked and pressed a kiss to his hip. 

“Oops,” she said. Loki rolled his head back towards her and propped himself up on one elbow. There was a cold, calculating look on his face.

“You’ll pay for that, darling,” Loki purred. Alice opened her mouth to spew a cheeky comment back at him but was quickly silenced by a pair of hands wrapping around her hips. She gasped and turned around, seeing a duplicate of her husband kneeling behind her.

“Loki?” she asked. She turned her head to look between the two versions of Loki. They both looked at her with mischievous grins that dared her to make a move before they did. Narrowing her eyes, she focused on the man behind her. “You’re my husband.”

“Are you sure?” Loki asked with an eyebrow raised. He ran his hand down Alice’s back and dug his fingernails into her upturned ass. Alice nodded proudly. Loki hummed and trailed his fingers back up Alice’s back. “Well, you’re correct. And how did you tell us apart?”

Alice jerked her chin up towards Loki’s double and smiled. “His eyes are too green. Yours have more blue in them than his.”

“An excellent observation that only you would notice,” Loki murmured. He reached forward and gripped Alice’s chin. He turned her so she stared into his double’s eyes. With a wave of magic, hints of blue were added into his double’s eyes. “Is that better?”

“Yes,” she whispered. She felt Loki lean forward and press his cock to her core. She whimpered and pushed her hips backwards. 

“Does he look like me?” Loki asked, rubbing his cock through Alice’s wet lower lips. She moaned and nodded.

“Yes,” she hissed.

“Then treat him as if he is me, darling. Suck his cock as you were just moments earlier. I want to see you pleasure him like a naughty little girl,” Loki said. Alice gasped as Loki released his grip on her chin. She wrapped a hand around the double’s cock and began to stroke him with a twist of her wrist. Loki moaned behind her, feeling the sensation on his own cock. 

It was incredibly arousing to see Alice through the eyes of both versions of himself. From his double’s body, he could see Alice’s pink lips wrapped around his cock, her eyes staring up at him with lust. Yet in his original body, he could see the lean form of her body bent over in front of him, her ass pressed to his hips with clear intention. He rocked his cock against her, causing her to moan deliciously around his double’s cock.

The double reached forward and fisted Alice’s hair around his hand. His thumb stroked over the smooth strands. She sighed with happiness as he began tugging on the roots, sending little trickles of pleasurable pain through her head. 

“You look so beautiful like this, my rose,” Loki’s clone said.

“So wanton. Such a vision,” Loki purred. He leaned over and ran his hand up Alice’s side. He pressed a kiss below her ear and smirked. “Keep sucking that cock like a good girl. I want you to keep your eyes on him. Don’t you dare remove them unless you want the whole court to know of your scandalous acts.”

Alice hummed in approval. She slipped her eyes open and watched Loki’s double. Even now as she looked at him, it was nearly impossible to see the difference between the copy and her husband. The voice was the same, the lean muscle was identical, and the clone held the same loving look in his eyes. Had she not known Loki like the back of her hand, she would have been fooled into thinking that the clone was legitimately him. 

He had done this a few times – mostly for battle or to spy on a noble from another realm. Only rarely did he let his clone enter the bedroom with him. He knew Alice secretly loved it. She loved worshipping her husband, and in turn, she loved when he worshipped her. Adding a second Loki into the mix only spiked her arousal. This morning was clearly no exception.

Popping off of his cock momentarily, Alice continued to pump him with her hand. Her chest was heaving as she caught her breath, but that gift of air left her as Loki slid his cock into her from behind. She squeezed her hand around his double’s cock and let out a long moan. Loki didn’t relent. Once he bottomed out, he settled his hands on Alice’s hips and immediately began fucking her with earnest. She gasped and continued to hold her gaze on the double.

“Did I tell you to stop, my sweet?” Loki asked from behind her. One hand smacked down against her ass, causing the girl to shake and groan. “Get back to it, darling.”

And she did. She slipped the clone’s cock back into her mouth and bobbed her head eagerly. Behind her, Loki stood taller on his knees to get his cock as deeply inside of his wife as he could. His groans filled the room as he told her what a beautiful girl she was, how perfect she felt squeezing his cock, and how he wanted to be inside her tight little cunt for the rest of his years.

He could feel her getting close. Her mouth was becoming sloppy on his double’s cock and she was furiously pushing back against Loki’s thrusts. Her moans were vibrating down the clone’s cock and Loki could feel the tremors running through his own body. 

“Fuck, Alice. Do you need to cum?” Loki asked through gritted teeth. Alice nodded, keeping her eyes locked with the double’s. Loki leaned over her and bit her shoulder, causing the girl below him to shake and fall forward against the double’s body. Loki moved his hand to circle his tight clit hastily. “Then cum for me, little girl. Cum around my cock.”

Choking on Loki’s double’s cock, Alice moaned and let her orgasm wash through her. She clamped around his cock, her pussy constricting him, as her hand gripped the base of the clone’s cock. Loki couldn’t hold himself back anymore – nor could he share his wife anymore. He waved the clone away, causing Alice to fall face first onto the bed.

Loki’s grip on her body tightened as he began fucking her with his full energy now that he was only in one body. Alice tossed her head back and pushed back onto Loki’s cock, despite her body shivering with sensitivity.

“Fuck, please, Loki. Fuck me! Oh, yes, Sir, please,” Alice yelled. Loki pushed one hand onto the back of her neck and shoved her into the bed. The other hand swept back around to tap at her clit again, eager to bring her to a second orgasm immediately. After a few more thrusts, Loki hit his own peak. He shouted Alice’s name at the top of his lungs as Alice let her second orgasm wash through her. Loki’s cum spouted inside of Alice, coating her walls and filling her with warmth. 

After Loki collected himself, he pulled out of Alice and collapsed on the bed beside her. She curled up into him and rested her head on his chest. Giggling, she turned up to Loki and pressed a kiss to his jaw. He looked down at her and based on the sparkling in his eyes, Alice knew his head was alleviated from its typical pain.

“Good morning,” she giggled. Loki’s arm tightened around her as he pressed a longing kiss to her forehead.

“Yes, a good morning, indeed.”

* 

“Brother! So nice of you to finally join us!”

Loki groaned and turned towards Thor who was eagerly bounding towards him and Alice. Loki’s arm tightened instinctively around his wife. Though, he knew there was nothing he needed to worry about. Thor was perhaps the one man in the nine realms that he trusted with Alice. They had been natural best friends even on this timeline and he knew that Thor would protect Alice with his life. Still, the volume of Thor’s voice had Loki growing defensive.

“Careful, brother, you might deafen all of Asgard,” Loki grumbled. Alice chuckled and left Loki’s arms. She gave Thor a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Wonderful to see you, Thor,” Alice said before slipping back into Loki’s embrace. The blonde prince chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. Even though Thor wasn’t one of the few Avengers to travel back in time to reclaim the stones and Loki’s aid, he certainly remembered everything that had happened. Like Loki, his godly status allowed him to view both timelines, remembering events that happened on both. It was amazing, Thor noted, that even on two separate courses, Loki and Alice had still found each other in the end. 

“It’s not my fault I’m excited to see you two. After all, it’s such a rarity that the Prince and Princess leave their chambers,” Thor said with a wink at Alice. She blushed and pushed some of her hair behind her ear.

“Well, it’s rare that I’m able to locate the Prince in the first place to drag him back to our chambers.” It was Alice’s turn to wink as she whispered such suggestive words. Thor snorted a laugh and patted his brother on the shoulder.

“Don’t touch me,” Loki hissed.

“I love you too, Loki,” Thor said with a smile. He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “Now, let’s sit and enjoy our lunch. After we finish, Princess Alice is to be dragged away with Sif for training.”

“Training?” Alice asked. Loki smoothed his hand up and down Alice’s back and nodded slowly.

“It’s been a while since you’ve honed your…physical fighting skills outside of your powers, darling. Sif’s been itching to train someone in the ring and I felt as if you’d enjoy it,” Loki said. Alice narrowed her eyes as she stared at Loki. She knew what he was really saying. He didn’t trust the Jotuns and he wanted to make sure Alice could protect herself around them in every way possible. Pressing her lips together, Alice nodded in return.

“Good idea,” she mumbled. Loki snapped his fingers and Alice’s gown transformed into suitable training gear. With that, he pulled her flush against his body and led her to the grand table to feast.

Roughly an hour later, a young servant rushed up to the table and whispered in Loki’s ear. Loki’s hand was holding a goblet of wine and it paused inches from his face as he listened to the young boy. The boy had hastily whispered that an intruder had entered Loki’s room using a guise of magic to appear like his wife. One of the maids reported it, knowing that this intruder was certainly not the Princess. Fear shot down his spine as he glanced at Alice’s unsuspecting face. At least she was safe here with Thor. With a nod, Loki placed his cup down and stood.

“I’m afraid there are some duties I must attend to,” Loki said quickly. He turned to Alice and lifted her hand to his lips. “I shall see you later, my love. Be sure to make use of your time with Sif.” He leaned down and pressed a chilled kiss to her cheek before turning to Thor. “Do walk my wife to the training grounds, please.”

“T’was the plan, brother,” Thor chuckled as he sipped from his cup. Loki gave Alice one last look before quickly exiting the room. She looked after him, trying to ignore the straining feeling that was constricting her chest.

*

Loki swung the heavy door open slowly, his daggers at the ready. He crept into the room and let out a tired breath, noticing the icy fog that exited his lips as he exhaled. Closing the door, Loki wondered if he would ever get a day where he wasn’t cleaning up some magical mess.

The chambers were exceptionally quiet as Loki stalked through them. He could feel the pulses of seidr that were hanging in the air. Following that tug, he wandered into his study that was connected to the left of the bedroom. The room was lit up and from inside, he could hear the faintest clinking of glass.

He rounded the corner of the doorway, and there they sat – the intruder impersonating his wife. They were sitting in one of Loki’s larger, more comfier chairs. Leaning against the black cushion on the back of the chair, they had one leg crossed neatly over the other with a teacup in their hand.

“Loki,” she purred. It was his wife’s sweet voice but certainly not her attitude. This person was too brooding to reflect Alice. Loki spun a single dagger in his hand while eyeing the person.

“You are not my wife,” he said simply. The intruder chuckled and tapped a little glass spoon against the edge of their teacup. They placed the spoon down, sipped the tea slowly, and placed the cup down on the end table as well.

“Well of course you know that. No one else needed to,” the person said. They stood up and Loki watched their glamour fade away in a rich black glow. The figure heightened a few feet to display Queen Ingrid. She checked her nails, watching the pale pink nubs grow into their sapphire claws once more. “I just needed a reason to get in here without question.”

“And why was that?” Loki asked. He walked slowly, preying on Ingrid as she circled him as well. Her smile was innocent, perhaps still a hint of his wife’s glamour left over from before. Loki knew this woman, though, and he knew she was anything but innocent.

“I needed to talk to you, my King,” Ingrid purred. Loki froze momentarily, swirling his blade in his hand before snorting.

“I’m not a king,” Loki answered plainly. Ingrid paused her prowl, standing up straight and folding her hands over the front of her black dress.

“You could be,” she said. She took a few steps closer to Loki and grinned. “Son of Laufey.”

“I know not of what you speak,” Loki snapped. Ingrid shook her head and walked closer to Loki. Her hand reached out to hold his, but Loki flashed his dagger forward in a threat. Ingrid held her hands up in defense and took a step back.

“You do. You’re Laufey’s son and his murderer. Thank you for that, by the way.” Ingrid became focused on a vase of roses beside Loki. She raised a stiff brow and ran her fingertips over the petals, encasing the flowers in a sheet of ice. 

“It is true I killed Laufey but I am not his son,” Loki hissed. Ingrid rolled her eyes and picked up one of the frozen roses.

“The God of Lies seems to be a terrible liar,” Ingrid mused. “I wasn’t sure if I was correct but my dear, you are trying too hard to hide yourself. You’re a Frost Giant. I knew it from the moment we began to dance.” 

“You are wrong,” Loki hissed. 

“Am I?” In the flash of an eye, Ingrid dropped the rose and grabbed Loki’s arm, watching his wrist turn a beautiful hue of blue. Loki pulsed his magic forward and forced his Asgardian skin to overrule the pull of his Frost Giant form. Ingrid smirked and released his wrist. “A Frost Giant. It all makes sense. I felt you using strong magic with every step of our dance. Perhaps it was to stop the whole realm from seeing the truth. There is no need to lie now, Loki. So, pray tell, who knows of your heritage?”

Loki sighed. He was defeated. He let one of his dagger retreat into its pocket of subspace while the other stayed dangling in his right hand. 

“Odin, Frigga, Thor, Alice, and two of the healers,” Loki mumbled. 

“So few people know of your greatness,” Ingrid sighed. “Why?”

“You know why,” Loki growled. Ingrid chuckled and walked a circle around Loki. For once, he stood there, not moving an inch. He had no idea why.

“Because we are the monsters of the nine realms. Yes, that’s correct. That’s what we have been told,” Ingrid said, one clawed finger tapping at her chin. “Is that why you killed Laufey, your father? To rid yourself of the monstrous ancestry you had?”

“No,” Loki said quietly. He rolled his shoulders, feeling that familiar dull pounding at the back of his skull. This discussion, this room, it was making him angry. The flowers in the room that Alice brought him were too potent. Spinning his dagger in his hand, he threw the blade across the room and sent it directly into the heart of the vase, smashing the glass to pieces.

“Why, dearest?” Ingrid whispered. Loki looked into her red eyes, his heart pounding.

“Odin would never let a Frost Giant be King. I wanted to prove to him that I was the brave son, the savior of Asgard, the rightful King! And yet, he let me fall from the Bifrost!” Loki yelled. Ingrid grinned, her eyes glowing against the candlelight. 

“Yes! He would never let you become King! And then he watched your suffer on Midgard, under the hand of the Mad Titan. And yet, you killed that fiend too!” Ingrid chanted.

“I did!” Loki yelled. His spine was sore and he wanted to sit but the anger boiling in him demanded he remain standing.

“And no title of royalty for you except for meager Prince, younger brother of Thor,” Ingrid grumbled.

For the first time in years, Loki uttered the words that he swore he never would. In a quiet voice, he whispered, “Thor is not my brother.” 

“Of course he isn’t, for he is holding you back from the throne too. Everyone is, even your little wife,” Ingrid said. Loki paused, his headache throbbing in his entire skull. He turned his body slightly towards Ingrid and shook his head. She held an icy hand up and stopped him from speaking. “She is, Loki, you know this. If she wanted you to become King, she would petition to Odin. She would have let you rule Midgard. She would be fighting by your side to put a crown on your head. Instead, she sits in the garden and begs you to bed her. Pathetic, she’s yet to even give you an heir.”

Anger was clouding Loki’s mind and he blamed Alice. Ingrid was right. Alice should be fighting for him instead of against him. Why hadn’t she gone to Odin and begged for Loki to take the throne? Why did she want Thor to be Odin’s successor? All she did was laze around with her legs spread. Loki clenched his fist and watched another vase in the room shatter to pieces.

As he watched the vase crumble to the ground, the petals of the flowers wilting, Loki felt a wave of guilt in his gut. He would never say those things about Alice. How…how could he think those things? He loved her, he loved Thor, he couldn’t betray them as he just had. 

The headache was getting stronger. The pain was numbing this better judgement. Growling, Loki ran over to Ingrid, wrapped his hand around her throat and pushed her up against the wall. He watched his hand transform back into blue upon touching her, and he willed it to disappear into its creamy white again.

“What are you doing to me, witch?” Loki asked with ferocity in his tone. Ingrid chuckled and pressed her hands to Loki’s arm, not really trying to get him off of her but not really allowing him to squeeze her throat harder.

“I can make you King,” Ingrid whispered. “I can. Come to Jotunheim with me. Live in your true form, be the king you were meant to be. I can do this for you, Loki.”

“I…I don’t want to be King,” Loki grumbled in his chest. “Not your King, at least.”

“Ah, but there it is. The hesitation, the desire, the conditions. You want it. Let me give it to you,” Ingrid persuaded. Loki shook his head and tightened his grip on her throat. 

“The only thing you can give me is the honor of killing you,” he hissed. Ingrid let her head fall back against the wall.

“I didn’t want to do it this way,” she sighed. She shut her eyes and shook her head as much as she could.

“What are you saying?” Loki asked. Ingrid chuckled and when she opened her eyes, they were pitch black.

Loki’s headache was fading, but as the throbbing disappeared, so did the white of his skin. No matter how much he willed his Asgardian form to take over, the blue of his Frost Giant heritage took over. It raced up his skin, revealing his true nature.

Loki dropped Ingrid to the floor as he began to claw at his skin. He scraped vicious marks into his arms, watching in horror as he couldn’t transform back. Whipping his head up, Loki practically screamed.

“What did you do to me?!” His voice was not as it was before. Still smooth and seductive, there were undertones of dangerous growls in his words. Ingrid laughed as she stood from the floor and wiped her dress with her hands. Then, she placed her palms towards the ceiling and let a black mist flow from her hands.

“I will bring you back to Jotunheim. I will make you King,” Ingrid said with hysterics. Loki fell to the ground, the pain of the transformation causing him to crumble. He folded in on himself as a sharp, unmatchable pain erupted from his scalp. He reached up and felt hard, bony structures breaching his head. As they grew and twisted, Loki recognized them as horns. Blinking away tears, Loki writhed on the floor and screamed. 

Through his agony, he thought he heard Ingrid whisper, “You will be mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Loki's fucked. Great.
> 
> Comments and kudos are always loved and appreciated <3


	4. Fix Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I say this about most of the smut I write but honestly, this was so much fun to write and it's one of my favorite smut scenes I've written. Kudos to Jotun Loki for making things so exciting.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

Loki wasn’t sure how long it was until his rampage ended. 

Ingrid had left the room long ago and after the pain subsided from his transformation, Loki stood before his grand mirror trying to rid himself of his Jotun appearance. No matter what he tried, the red eyes remained, the claws stayed, and the blue simply would not fade. After shedding tears of literal ice, Loki did the only thing he knew how to: destroy.

He tore his chambers apart. Couches were slashed with his claws, tables crushed under his boot, windows shattered from his blue fist. He was screaming, crying, panting, and no one was coming. 

Loki was alone. He wondered if Ingrid had locked him in here. Maybe she was locking him away in his own personal prison until he behaved. It didn’t matter, Loki wouldn’t leave anyway. He couldn’t risk anyone seeing his true form. But still, his heart pounded. How long would it take for someone to notice he was gone? Would Ingrid ever be back? Would anyone be back? Alice would have to come by eventually. What would she find?

His Alice. His pure Alice. He spoke so terribly of her. Loki cringed, remembering what thoughts he held in his frenzy of anger and that pounding headache. Did he truly think such terrible things of her? Crawling across the floor, Loki grabbed a vial of wine still intact and downed it. He shouted her name as he clawed at the walls. 

“My son.”

Loki whipped his head over his shoulder. Frigga was standing in the doorway silently as she stared at her child. Loki stood from his spot and backed himself against the wall, holding his hands out.

“Stay back!” Loki yelled. Frigga closed the door behind her and walked forward. Loki growled and violently shook his head. “I said stay back! I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You could never hurt me,” Frigga said with a smile. She approached Loki carefully, her palms held out. Loki dropped his hands and sobbed. Frigga placed one hand on her son’s left cheek and rubbed her thumb over the ridges of his Jotun markings. “Why are you in this form?”

“Queen Ingrid forced the transformation. I…I do not know how to reverse it. I’ve tried everything,” Loki whispered. He looked down at Frigga with his bright red eyes and watched her run her fingers over his skin. She shut her eyes and hummed, frowning as she went along.

“Old magic. Dark magic,” she murmured. “This…this magic is dangerous.”

“Fix me,” Loki whispered. Frigga frowned deeper and pressed her hands harder against Loki’s body.

“You do not need to be fixed. You appear before me as my true son,” Frigga said. Loki growled and pushed himself away, stalking around the room. His clothes were in tatters around his body, Frigga noted.

“You must find a way to remedy this,” Loki explained. 

“But why?” Frigga asked, tilting her regal head. “This is who you are. You have never spent more than mere experimental moments in this form. Why not try to-“ 

“Look at me!” Loki yelled. “I’m a Frost Giant! A monster! A menace! Shall I just saunter into court like this? I have finally regained the trust of Asgard only to appear to them as such. They will cower and cry. Mothers will hide their children from me as fathers gather to fight me.”

Frigga sighed. She knew that Loki was not truly a monster. The Frost Giants could not be classified so harshly. But she understood where he was coming from. As advanced as they were, Asgardians were raised to fear the Jotuns. Loki could not simply appear to them as one without the ability to transform back. Nodding, Frigga began reciting all the spells she knew.

None of them worked.

Loki sobbed as he clawed at his beautiful blue face. He pounded the walls and thrashed about. He was stuck as this form and even Frigga could not save him. Howling, Loki dragged his claws down the stone wall, leaving angry white marks in their wake. 

“Enough!” he yelled. “This will not work! I am stuck this way.”

“We can work through this,” Frigga whispered. Loki turned to her, tears staining his face. His expression was blank as if it was cut from the coldest of marble. His red eyes were vacant of all emotion as he glared at her. For the first time in over a thousand years, Frigga was afraid of her son.

“No. There is only one person who can fix this and that is the mongrel who did this to me,” Loki murmured, a bit too calmly for Frigga’s liking.

“Why would she do this?” Frigga asked, wringing her hands together. Loki leaned against the wall and rubbed his shaky hands down his face.

“She knows I’m Laufey’s son. She is trying to trick me into becoming King of Jotunheim. For what purpose, I’m unsure. But she’s sincerely adamant,” Loki said. 

“How dare she. I will send her away at once!” Frigga scoffed. Loki rushed forward and shook his head desperately.

“You cannot! She’s the only one to fix this. If you kick her out then I’ll be stuck like this forever! You can’t lock her away, send her off, or force her to fix me. The only way I’ll get back to being who I really am is by complying. Play her game until she gives me my identity back. Then, and only then, can I kill her where she stands. So, please, leave her be for now. It’s the only way this will work. Please, do not do this to me,” Loki begged.

“My son, it is truly not that bad,” Frigga whispered. Loki growled and swiped his hands forward, earning a screech from his mother.

“Look at me!” he screamed. His chest was heaving as he looked down at his cowering mother. It was then he saw the blood dripping from her hands. Frigga turned to him, scratches from Loki’s claw marring her perfect skin. Loki trembled, stepping backwards, staring at his claws. On their sapphire tips, he could see the stains of Frigga’s blood. “I…I am…Mother…”

“It’s okay, Loki,” Frigga assured him. She wiped her hands down her dress, smearing the golden fabric with her blood. Loki swallowed and backed himself against the wall. 

“It is not. I’ve hurt you. I always hurt you,” Loki whispered, flashbacks of his mother’s death on his previous timeline burning in his mind. “You must go. Now.”

“Please, son, listen to me, I’m fi-“

“Go!” Loki shouted. He held his hand out and formed a thick block of spiked ice. He sent it sliding towards Frigga, forcing her towards the exit. He let the door fling open with his magic as he promptly pushed Frigga outside. He locked the door behind her and mumbled a complex locking spell that would keep anyone but Ingrid out. 

Loki then sank to the floor and simply cried.

*

It was late when Alice finally returned to her chambers. Thor left her at the door with a kiss on the cheek before he sauntered away, adamant on having a long drink with Fandral. Alice giggled and went to open the door with her sweaty hands, but found it firmly stuck. 

“Loki? My love, are you in there? The door seems to be stuck,” Alice called. She tugged on the door some more but it refused to budge. Inside, the room was quiet. Alice groaned, knowing Loki was likely caught up in politics somewhere in the palace. With a sigh, she turned around and went to search for Thor, deciding that she, too, was in need of a drink. 

From inside the room, Loki laid on the bed – the one piece of furniture that wasn’t destroyed – and thought about how his wife could ever fathom the sight of him again. 

*

Three days went by without Alice being able to get into her chambers and without the chance of seeing Loki.

She went to the room every few hours and tried to open the doors but they remained shut. She was extremely nervous. It wasn’t rare that her husband would disappear for a few days but normally he would inform her when it would happen. Even then, she could lay in their bed and await his attentions that inevitably came. Without access to their rooms, Alice felt a bit lost – and despite the giant palace, a bit homeless. 

So, she wandered around. Thor didn’t seem to take much notice and Odin was spent bickering with the Jotuns about something Alice couldn’t understand. Sif and the Warriors Three spent their days training and bustling in the stables. It was as if no one noticed Loki’s disappearance. Well, except for Frigga.

The Queen was particularly quiet for the past few days. Occasionally, her brows would furrow and her lips would move but no words would come out. Alice recognized this as deep magical practice that she didn’t dare interrupt. Instead, she stared at Frigga and wondered what was happening in her mother-in-law’s mind. Yet, before Alice could wonder too hard, one of the maids would draw her away and insist on pampering her. Alice thought nothing of it – perhaps her absent husband had sent them.

On the third day of Loki’s disappearance, Frigga sought Alice out. Alice had been roaming the halls when Frigga appeared in front of her. Her face was grave as she wrapped her arms around Alice and pulled her into a quiet alcove.

“Allmother, wha-“

“Be quiet and listen closely, child,” Frigga whispered. “Something terrible has happened to Loki – no! Don’t speak! Just listen. I need your help. He has locked himself away in his chambers and refuses to leave. Even I couldn’t get through to him. I need you to see him. Perhaps he’ll listen to you.”

“What happened to him?” Alice asked, her voice shaking and weak. Frigga placed her arms around Alice and smiled softly at her. 

“You shall see,” she said. “These past three days I’ve been working on undoing the locking spell that he put on the door. It was extremely difficult but I found a chink in the armor and I was able to break through. The doors should open for you now.”

“Thank you, Frigga. I’ll do my best,” Alice said with a nod. She turned to leave but Frigga held onto her tighter. There was a debate happening in Frigga’s mind before she sighed and reached into the folds of her robe.

“I don’t want it to come to this but if it must, take this.” Frigga pulled her hand back out and held Alice’s bracelet in her palm. Within that bracelet, held her combat suit from her days with the Avengers.

“I won’t need this,” Alice snorted. “Loki would never hurt me.”

“Not intentionally,” Frigga said plainly. She rolled up her sleeve to show Alice the slash marks in her skin. Alice gasped and felt tears welling in her eyes. Whatever happened to Loki had hurt him and the others around him. Nausea was stirring in Alice’s stomach but she tried to ignore it as she wrapped the bracelet around her wrist. Frigga patted her arm again and whispered, “be careful.”

Alice nodded once and began running through the hallways. Her sandals clicked against the floor as she raced towards her rooms. She was terribly angry with herself for waiting so long to discover what happened. If only she began asking questions from the beginning…Alice shook her head. Now was no time to ponder the what-if’s. She needed to get to Loki.

Alice slowed to a careful walk once she got to the door. She pressed her ear to the wood trying to hear something – anything. When she heard not even a single peep, Alice placed her hand on the door and tried to open it. Luckily, this time it actually swung open for her.

She slid in quietly and shut the door behind her. Her heart was racing as she looked around the dark room. Everything was in ruins. There were scratches on the walls and broken glass on the floor. It was as if a tornado ran through the room. Swallowing her fear, Alice stood up straighter and began her search.

“Loki? Loki, are you here?” Alice asked as she walked around the room. It was too dark to see much. Lighting a small flame in her palm, Alice guided herself over the humps of broken furniture. 

“How did you get in here?” Loki’s voice came from behind her. Alice whipped around, but couldn’t find her husband.

“Your mother is an expert lock-picker, I hear,” Alice said with a faint chuckle. She didn’t hear a laugh from Loki. Instead, a light growl vibrated through the room. “Where are you?”

“Go away, Alice. You shouldn’t be here,” Loki said sternly. Alice rolled her eyes and huffed.

“Okay, sure. Now show me where you are,” she said. There came the growling again. Alice took a step back when she heard the crunching of glass beneath heavy boots come closer. Holding her flame closer to her face, Alice watched two red eyes come into sight. “Loki?”

It was indeed her husband. As he came closer, Alice could see him – tall and foreboding – as he stood over her. Alice gasped as she took him in. She had never seen his Frost Giant form before – or rather, he never let her see it. His skin was a shining blue with raised markings. His nails were long and clawed, a deep sapphire coating them. Out of his head, two midnight black horns sprouted and curled, adding another foot onto his height. He looked completely sinister and terrifying. And yet, Alice couldn’t find it in herself to be afraid.

“Now you see me, wife.” Loki spat out the last word as if it soured his mouth. Alice sighed and looked to her side. She noticed a few candles still intact. Shooting her flame over to them, the room finally got bright enough for Alice not to squint in the darkness.

“I’ve never seen the true you,” Alice said. 

“You never should have,” Loki mumbled. His nostrils flared and his eyes squinted as he took a deep inhale. “Now, please leave. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“The only thing I’m worried about you hurting is the rest of the furniture in here,” Alice said, pointing to the few pieces of furniture still held together. The corner of Loki’s blue lips quirked upwards before quickly settling back into a scowling frown. 

“I’m sure you saw what I did to Frigga. It could very well happen to you too,” Loki muttered. He turned away from Alice and rubbed the back of his head, feeling that annoying throbbing at the base of his skull. He heard Alice coming closer and he took a deep breath.

“That was an accident, I’m sure. You would never hurt her purposefully,” Alice said. “Loki, look at me. Tell me what happened. I want to help you.”

“Help me? You want to help me? I’m afraid that’s not possible unless you can turn me back into my normal form,” Loki growled. He shook his head and rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the headache that was growing. With it, his anger began to grow as well. Why couldn’t his annoying pest of a wife just leave him to sulk? 

“How did this even happen?” Alice asked. Loki rolled his eyes and quickly explained the story again. Alice sighed once he was done and walked closer to Loki. She reached out to touch him but before she could place her hand on his shoulder, he whipped around and grabbed her arm. His eyes were a flaring red as he looked her over. Finally, his gaze landed on her wrist. His expression slowly went from terribly angry to collected and cool – much more dangerous than his wrath.

“You’re wearing your suit,” Loki stated, emotionless. Alice squirmed under his hard grip, feeling pain and a spiking chill going through her bones.

“Frigga gave it to me as a precaution,” Alice admitted. 

“A precaution. Of course she did,” Loki whispered. “Go now. Before I hurt you.”

Loki dropped Alice’s arm and backed away slowly. Alice rubbed her wrist, sending some of the warmth from her fiery palms through her skin. His cool expression was melting into sadness, a loneliness that Alice hadn’t seen in his face on this timeline ever.

“The only way you can hurt me is by pushing me away,” Alice said. She stepped closer slowly, avoiding the broken glass on the floor. “You like to do that, you know? Remember our old timeline? Pushed me away when you were in jail. Locked yourself away when Frigga died. Locked yourself away again when Odin died. Avoided me when you were stressed on Kilron. You ran and you hid and in the end, when you came back to me, you always said you felt better. Can’t you tell that I’m not leaving? We’re married, Loki. We’re in this together, whatever this turns out to be.”

“How can you love someone like me?” Loki asked, his voice trembling. Alice could see the fear in his eyes. The sorrow, anger, regret – it was all because he was afraid of rejection. Alice smiled softly and came up to Loki’s front. She ran one hand down his clothed arm and squeezed him softly. 

“Because you’re you. Asgardian or Jotun, you’re still the man I fell in love with. Twice, nonetheless. Being in this form means nothing to me. You’re Loki, that’s that,” Alice said. She reached forward and intertwined her hand with Loki’s cold, blue one. “You’re my Loki just with a different coat of paint.”

“And massive horns and red eyes,” Loki mumbled. Alice chuckled and shrugged.

“Still my Loki,” she said. Loki looked into her eyes, holding her gaze in his. He moved his free hand upwards and slowly reached for Alice’s cheek. He brushed his fingertips along her smooth skin, testing to make sure she didn’t flinch away. When she stood as still as a statue, he pressed his palm to her face, cupping her cheek. Alice rubbed herself into his touch, shutting her eyes and humming out a pleased sound. He rubbed his thumb over her cheekbone and let a small smile dance onto his face.

There was no more headache.

“I love you,” he whispered. Alice opened her eyes and squeezed his hand. 

“I love you too,” she whispered back. Loki’s eyes flickered down to Alice’s lips. He licked over his blue ones and cleared his throat.

“May I?” he asked. Alice smirked and stood up straighter. She looked up at her husband and giggled.

“You never need to ask,” she said. Loki untangled his grip on her hand and pressed his other hand to her face. He took one step closer and leaned down, ghosting his lips just over Alice’s. He felt her warm breath reflect off of his face before he gently pressed his lips to hers. 

It was just a quick peck before he pulled away. He looked over her face, his heart pounding. He had never touched someone so intimately in this form and part of him was worried he had already hurt her somehow. Alice reached up and pressed her hands to his chest, fluttering her eyes open and seeing the nervousness he held.

“It’s okay. I’m okay. You can kiss me again or you can take it as slow as you need. I’m not going anywhere,” Alice whispered. If Loki’s heart had been made of ice, it would have melted, he was sure. Pulling Alice back to him, Loki kissed her again, his heart racing for his need to touch her. Alice sighed against his lips and gripped the clothing over his chest, keeping him connected to her. 

She was shivering against his body and she was unsure whether that was from the chill of his body or the enthusiasm of his kissing. His hands moved downwards, running over her arms, waist, and finally settling on her ass. He tugged her upwards, causing Alice to jump up and wrap her legs around Loki’s waist. Alice moaned as he squeezed her bottom, her hands flying up to his hair to pull at the roots. He groaned and stumbled backwards, sitting himself down on the bed with Alice still in his lap. Under her ass, she could feel his extremely stiff cock.

“I want you,” Alice whispered as she pulled her mouth away from his. She pressed kisses all over his face, admiring the raised ridges that decorated his skin. Loki’s red eyes fluttered shut as she made her way down his neck.

“I’ve already gone too far with you, my rose. I fear if you bring me between the sheets, I may not control my true nature,” Loki growled as she nipped over his pulse. Pushing herself up to look into Loki’s now opened eyes, she ran her fingertips down his throat.

“How many times must I tell you that you could never hurt me?” Alice asked. She smirked and began scratching her nails down Loki’s chest. “Besides, you should know more than anyone that being rough-housed is something I’ll never say no to.”

“No, darling, listen,” Loki said, taking Alice’s wandering hand in his own and holding it away from himself. “The Jotuns are…brutal. It is in our nature. Now I’ve been exposed to this form for three days and I’ve already had exaggerated reactions and violent tendencies. If this seeps into what happens in bed – if I get into that carnal mindset – I’m not sure I could hold myself back even if you needed me to.”

Alice stared at their intertwined hands and pondered this. Loki was trying to push her away because he assumed he would hurt her. Yet, with the way he spoke of the Frost Giants, of his true self, she could hear the distaste in his tone. Yes, he was afraid to hurt her, but he was more afraid to be vulnerable with her in this form. Alice sighed and pressed a kiss to the back of Loki’s hand.

“I want to love you, Loki. I want to show you how perfect you are to me. Let me do that. We can take it slow. If either of us needs to stop, we tell one another. And if you do get into that mindset – which to preface, I don’t think you will – I’ll just light a flame under your ass,” Alice said.

“You savage,” Loki purred. He pressed a kiss to Alice’s lips and nodded. “Okay, we shall try.”

“Thank you,” Alice whispered. “I was hoping you’d agree. I’m dripping thinking about what your cock looks like in this form.”

“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know?” Loki bit Alice’s earlobe. She gasped and shuddered, feeling a dull pinch from Loki’s fangs that she didn’t know he had. He chuckled and flipped her around, pressing her into the bed. He took his time discarding her of her clothing. As he trailed his fingers down her arms, he paused at her suit bracelet. He left it on – a precaution in case she needed to pry his animalistic body from her. He pressed kisses along her nude body, nuzzling his face into her soft skin. “I’ll never tire of seeing this body.”

“It’s yours, Loki. Every part of it is yours,” Alice moaned as he trailed kisses along her inner thighs. He chuckled and bit down on her thigh, his fangs grazing her skin. He moved his tongue upwards towards her center and blew a stream of cool air over her swollen clit.

“Even this sweet little cunt?” Loki asked. Alice nodded, gripping the sheets beside her. “Oh, how I love to hear that. Even now, as you lay with me in this form, your cunt is simply soaking wet. You’re dripping down my fingers, my love. Tell me, has this beautiful little pussy been missing me these past few days? Have I neglected you, my dear?”

“Mmm, yes. I’ve been so empty without you,” Alice whimpered as Loki pushed two clawed fingers inside of her core. Her back arched off of the bed at the sharp feeling scratching her walls. Loki’s fingers curled inside of her as he pressed a quick kiss to her throbbing clit.

“I’m so sorry, my dear. I should have brought you in here sooner and filled that cunt up. I bet you want that, don’t you? You want to be filled? Claimed? Marked all over? Is that what you crave?” Loki purred, pumping his fingers faster. Alice grasped the bed around her and nodded, her legs trembling. 

In the back of her mind, she was beginning to believe what Loki had said before about Jotuns being aggressive lovers. Loki had always been devious in bed – his sinful mouth spewing lewd words and his movements turning pain into pleasure – but this version of Loki was being particularly rough in his ways. His claws were scraping her and his fangs were biting into her thighs. He was rocking his hips against the bed as he spoke his sinful words to her. 

“Fill me with your cock, please,” Alice gasped.

“Say my name when you address me, pet. Remind yourself who you belong to,” Loki hissed. Alice whimpered as a third finger pushed inside of her. 

“You, Loki! Oh, Loki, only you,” Alice moaned as his mouth circled around her clit and suckled. Reaching her peak, Loki instructed Alice to push herself over the edge. She cried his name as she came around his fingers and on his tongue. He groaned, slurping her up as if he hadn’t had a drink in days. Thinking about it, it was perfectly possible that with his isolation, he actually hadn’t had a drink in days. Loki pulled himself up, scratching his claws up Alice’s abdomen and circling them around her erect nipples.

“So sweet, my little one,” Loki chuckled, leaning down to suck as her rosy buds. His hands gripped her waist and squeezed, his eyes shut tight as he sucked as hard as he could on her buds. Alice fisted her hands in Loki’s hair and writhed under his touch. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pushing him against her. Realizing he was still fully clothed, Alice groaned. Loki looked up from his attention on her breasts, and in his moment of pause, Alice summoned all of her newfound immortal strength and flipped her husband over, settling on top of him. Loki raised a brow and smirked. “Now what is my good little girl doing?”

“Fixing your clothing situation,” she muttered. Loki was dressed in one of his casual robes. There wasn’t enough buckles and metal to make it impossible to remove but the complex roping of fabric would be a pain for her to undo in her haste. 

An idea popped into Alice’s head. She crawled further up Loki’s body, settling her nude core over his chest. He watched her with curiosity as she slid open a secret compartment in their headboard and pulled out a dagger that Loki kept there for emergencies. His eyes widened as he figured out what she was doing. Alice pushed herself down Loki’s body, slicing the knife through his clothing to expose his bare, blue skin. His cock was incredibly hard watching this display.

“You have no idea how arousing this is, dear. Seeing you nude on top of me with a knife in your hand. It’s like you’re a seductive Valkyrie. My personal little warrior enchantress,” Loki said as she freed his cock. Placing the knife back, Alice began running her hands down Loki’s body. He clicked his tongue and eyed the spot the dagger was placed in. “Such a shame, I would’ve loved to have used that on you.”

“How so?” Alice asked with her eyebrow raised. She kissed over his skin, running her hands along his abdomen, her cunt rubbing against his ridged cock. 

“Just picture it. You underneath me, bound and helpless. Maybe there’s even a gag in your mouth. I’m above you, cock buried in that sweet pussy with a knife held to your neck. If you move, you’re in a very bad way. You’re completely at my mercy. All laid out and merciless for your King,” Loki moaned, his eyes a brighter ruby red. Alice swallowed and shook her head. She could see the ferocity taking over her husband. Deciding she needed to lure him back to her, she peppered him with soft kisses and sweet words.

“You’re so beautiful, Loki. I love you this way. Your skin is so pretty with these ridges. This shade of blue matches the Midgardian skies in late June,” Alice sighed happily. Wrapping one hand around his flushed cock, she pressed a kiss to the tip. “And your cock, so perfect even now. Gods, look at those ridges. I wonder how they’ll feel inside of me. Probably like Valhalla here at home.”

“Why don’t you get on and find out, my beautiful wife,” Loki said softly. She looked back up and saw the red of his eyes had settled into a calmer glow. Thankful for her hold over her lover, Alice stretched up and pressed a deep kiss to his lips. When she pulled away, Loki held her there and brushed his thumb along her cheekbone. “I mean it. You are so beautiful. I am so blessed that you’re my wife.”

Alice was at a loss for words at the sincerity in Loki’s voice. He had taken a complete switch from the persona he had slipped into before. Pressing a hard kiss to his lips, Alice sunk down on Loki’s cock and moaned into his mouth. She was right – those ridges were her own form of Valhalla. They scraped inside of her, digging into her walls and bumping her in all the right places. Loki’s grip on her tightened as her core squeezed him, even warmer now that he had embraced his Jotun form.

And so, she rode him – hard. It began sweetly but after feeling the intensity of his cock inside of her, Alice couldn’t wait much longer. She wanted Loki and she wanted him now. She fucked herself on his cock, groaning at the feeling of his hands grabbing and gripping all over her. His head was tossed back and his hips were angled up, wedging his cock deeper inside of her. She cried out his name with tears stinging in her eyes.

Loki growled and flipped her over. He tossed her legs over his shoulders and plowed his cock into her, suddenly taken over with the urge to claim her. He wanted everyone to know that even as a monster, she wanted him. She was still begging for his cock even when he looked like this. Her hands reached up and gripped his horns, an action that was unnervingly arousing to him.

She tugged him down so he could kiss her. It was a sloppy mixture of teeth and tongue and more biting that either of them would have anticipated. His hands clawed all over her as he bit a deep mark into her neck. Practically screaming, Alice scrambled for purchase on whatever she could find. At this point, it was Loki’s back. He hissed as her nails dragged over his skin and he fucked into her faster.

“You’re mine, Alice. In every way, shape, and form. You are mine and I am undoubtedly yours,” Loki grunted through his teeth. His red eyes were wild as he scanned down her body. He wanted to fill her with his cum. He wanted to fill her to the brim until she was leaking, and then take whatever leaked out and proceed to rub it into her skin. He wanted his essence all over her, his little perfect wife. He could see in her eyes that she wanted it too.

“Make me yours, Loki. Fuck! Show me who I belong to,” she hissed at a particularly rough thrust. Loki surged forward, wrapping one hand around Alice’s throat. She gasped for air as he squeezed her airway. Loki felt her gushing around him as he brushed against her swollen bud.

“I want you to cum for me, Alice. I want you to shout my name for the entire realm to hear. Let them know who is the only one that gets to fuck this innocent little body of yours,” Loki growled. His other hand reached down and circled her clit, earning a sharp moan from his gasping girl. 

“Loki! Fuck, Loki, yes!” Alice shouted as her orgasm overtook her. Her entire body shuddered as Loki squeezed her throat tighter. He groaned her name, tossing his regal head back as he came inside of her. He fucked her through both of their orgasms, pumping his cum into her at an overwhelming rate. He released her throat and peppered kisses along the sensitive skin as they came down from their highs.

Pulling out, Loki fell beside Alice. She curled up to him and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and sighing happily. Loki purred and pulled back, looking into Alice’s eyes with a fondness he hadn’t felt in days.

“You…you love me,” Loki whispered. Alice nodded and tangled her fingers in his inky hair.

“Forever and always,” Alice whispered back. Loki pulled her against his body and hummed, slowly rubbing her back until she fell asleep against him.

“Yes, forever and always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just started writing a new Loki fic called "Feel Your Fear, Taste Your Fright", a work about dark!Loki and his time with Thanos. In the middle of all this, he gets mixed up with one of Thanos' daughters and things just get wild from there. If you're interested, be sure to check it out! Chapter 1 is up now! https://archiveofourown.org/works/21673120/chapters/51686179
> 
> Comments and kudos are always loved and appreciated <3


	5. Bruises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: Unintentional abuse and violence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys and happy Monday! This chapter was incredibly sad to write and I wish I didn't have to do this but here we are...
> 
> I hope you enjoy and thank you for reading!

Waking up to Loki beside Alice was rare enough as it is. She had gotten used to her husband slipping out of bed well before Alice woke up in order to attend to his royal responsibilities. So, opening her eyes to see Loki curled up beside her was a beautiful surprise. Waking up and seeing her husband in his Jotun form, however, was utterly breathtaking. 

He was still sleeping, which made sense considering Alice could tell that even covered in blue skin, he had purple bags under his eyes. Those three days under this spell had stripped his sleep from him. He needed the rest and it was a sigh of relief that he was finally getting it. So, Alice took her time to admire Loki in his truest form.

He never showed this side of himself to her before. She had asked in the past if he would ever feel comfortable shedding his glamor. Loki would tense up and simply shake his head in response. Alice couldn’t find it in herself to be angry at him but she was a bit hurt whenever he would turn her down. She understood it would take time to bear himself to her. However, they’d been married for three years and she shared all of her secrets with him. His lack of disclosure about this form perhaps made her feel like he didn’t trust her.

But now she knew that he did trust her. It was himself that he couldn’t trust. He couldn’t trust the beast that resided within his Jotun form – at least, that’s what he chose to call it. While tracing the raised ridges on Loki’s naked arms, Alice decided it was not a beast that lived in this form. Rather, it was the suppression and denial of this form. Loki was still Loki, whether his skin was white or blue, and how he acted would be the same either way. When he let that inner “beast” out, he was simply exerting the aggression and frustration he had held in for so long. At least, that’s how Alice saw it. She didn’t know enough about the Jotuns to tell whether or not this could be true or not.

Alice shifted slightly and felt the residuals of their intense couplings sticking to her. Loki had taken her several times after the first, desperate to feel her love and understand that she wanted him even like this. Alice didn’t mind. She would let Loki fuck her whenever he wanted to because chances were, she wanted him just as badly.

Regretfully pulling herself away from her husband, Alice wrapped herself in one of Loki’s robes that was dangling on the edge of the bed. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Alice attempted to stand. However, the moment her feet hit the ground, she collapsed. Gasping as she fell, Alice hit the ground with a dull thud. She groaned and rolled over, pushing herself up into a sitting position. She looked down her body and pressed a hand to her mouth. Her ankle was swollen and a furious purple color. 

Mustering up the strength, Alice pulled herself onto her feet and hissed. She struggled to stay balanced on her bad foot. Sprained, definitely sprained. Having no idea how this could have happened, Alice decided she needed to inspect it further. Practically hopping to the bathroom, Alice stood in front of the mirror and let Loki’s robe drop from around her body. Her eyes widened at her own reflection and she let out a quiet gasp.

Her entire body was covered in bite marks and bruises. Little scratches edged up her thighs and dug into her hips. Her breasts were littered with teeth marks that had broken skin and her nipples were dotted with little red speckles from the intensity of Loki’s lips. Her neck was covered in purple, and when she raised her hand to touch it, she hissed from the pain. 

Every part of her body was sore to the touch. No matter how she stepped or turned, hints of pain blossomed behind each movement. As she examined herself, it seemed that there were marks all over her – bruises, bites, scratches. Swallowing the sob that threatened to rise in her throat, Alice realized that she hadn’t felt physical pain like this since she was fully human – and that was too many years ago.

“Alice?” 

Alice whipped around, trying to hide the grimace from the pain on her face, and stared at Loki. He stood there, hand resting on the entryway and his red eyes examining her body. His hands were shaking and there were tears in his eyes.

“Loki, I’m okay,” she whispered. She picked his robe back up and covered herself with it. She tried hiding her sprained ankle behind her other leg, but Loki caught the movement. He furrowed his eyebrows and crept forward. Sinking to his knees, he lifted her foot in his hands and brushed his cold fingers over the damaged area, trying to heal as much as he could. He looked up at Alice’s face when she let out a whimper.

“I did this to you,” Loki mumbled. 

“No, Loki-“

“I hurt you. I…I…oh gods, Alice,” Loki sighed, fluttering his eyes shut. Alice reached down and ran her fingers through Loki’s hair, her knuckles bumping into his horns every so often. Loki stiffened under her touch, trembling ever so slightly.

“It’s okay. I’m strong,” Alice said softly. Loki pressed his lips into a tight line and looked back up at Alice.

“Even in your Asgardian body, I hurt you.” His voice was cold and hard. Alice licked her lips and shook her head.

“I’m only three years into my transformation! I’m not at my full strength yet,” Alice tried to reason. Loki growled and shook his head.

“That’s my point, Alice. You’re three years into your transformation and I was still able to do this to you,” he hissed. “Imagine if you were still human. Imagine it for just a moment.”

“But I’m not human! It’s no big deal, Loki. I’m fine,” Alice hurried to say. Loki’s eyes glowed a furious red. He placed Alice’s foot back at the floor and she sighed in relief. Her ankle still throbbed in pain but she could at least stand on it without wincing. 

“You say you’re fine yet look at yourself,” he hissed. He stood up to his full height and gripped Alice’s shoulders. He turned her to look at herself in the mirror and shook his head. 

“We were both a little rough last night-“

“A little rough? Is this what you call a little rough?” Loki reached forward and wrapped his hand around Alice’s throat ever so lightly. His fingers spread over the bruises, his blue skin covering the purple marks left behind. It was then she noticed that the bruise around her neck was the distinct shape of Loki’s hand. “I could have killed you.”

“But I’m not dead, am I? I’m perfectly fine!” Alice shook her head and reasoned. Loki scoffed and dropped his hand from around her throat, much to Alice’s relief. He ran a hand through his hair. When his fingers hit his horns, he paused and let his hand fall in front of him, staring at it with acid in his glare.

“I almost broke your ankle.”

“But you fixed that.”

“Fucking hell, Alice, listen to me!” Loki bellowed. She shrunk back, folding in on herself. She wrapped Loki’s robe tighter around her body. “I hurt you. I gripped your throat so tight you could have suffocated. I made you bleed. I tore your skin up and didn’t even notice. Can’t you see? I’m dangerous. I’m going to hurt you more. I can’t…I can’t let you stay here.”

Gods, his head was pounding again. Loki scratched his nails across his ridged forehead, trying to relieve the pressure. 

“Loki, please. Don’t do this,” Alice whispered. Loki looked at her with his lips pursed. She could see his chin shaking from trying to hold back his tears. “We’re always doing this to one another. I can’t think of one time you and I have slept together that we haven’t ended up covered in marks.”

“This isn’t just marks, Alice. This…this is abuse. This is neglect. This is carelessness. This isn’t some sort of possessive love bites or fingertip bruises. This is me being a terrible, reckless husband,” Loki whispered.

“You didn’t mean to do it! You could never hurt me!”

“You say that and yet here you are, suffering and in pain,” Loki said with a broken voice.

“Please, don’t shut me out because of this. I’m not angry or upset.” Alice took a step closer to him but he stepped backwards, shaking his head.

“But you are afraid,” Loki murmured. “I saw it in your eyes when you were looking at yourself. You were terrified of what I did to you – of what I could do to you.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” Alice said, her lip trembling.

“But you should be. I’m bad for you. I’m going to end up killing you. You can’t stay with me,” Loki said. Alice felt tears streaming down her face as she watched the anger and fear etch themselves onto her husband’s face.

“You would never do that,” Alice pleaded. 

“Rid yourself of this room or I will force you to go,” Loki moaned, still stepping back. He didn’t understand why Alice just wouldn’t leave him alone. He pinched the bridge of his nose, fluttering his eyelashes. His head hurt. Alice reached forward again, one hand keeping her robe closed to hide Loki’s eyes from her bruises. She just barely brushed her fingers against his cheek.

“Loki, you could never hurt me. I love-“

“Enough!” Loki shouted, every voice in his head screaming at him to lash out. He stamped his foot on the ground and with an unintentional pulse of icy magic, Alice flew through the bedroom and hit the wall. She screamed as her back collided with the stone wall, her body falling against the floor. The glowing red in Loki’s eyes faded and his head stopped throbbing as he watched his wife crumpled on the ground, her body shaking from her sobs. He looked down at the ground, seeing a flare of ice sticking up from the ground around his foot. His gaze wandered back to Alice, full of disbelief that he lost control so easily. His lips parted and his heart began to pound in his chest. “Alice-“

Loki crept forward, his hands held out in defense. She rolled to the side and looked at Loki. There were tears streaming down her face and blood pooling underneath her. As he got closer, Alice shuffled back towards the wall.

It was then Loki saw fear in his wife’s eyes.

If there was one thing that Loki could say about Alice it was that she never feared him. Even on their other timeline when he was furious and jailed, she stood her ground with determination, only flinching once or twice in the beginning. Even then, she always returned courageously. But now, she watched him like he was going to murder her. Truthfully, he could have. He watched her curled up, bloody and bruised, and knew that he could never fix this. She didn’t deserve to live with this fear and in pain. He had hurt her – now physically and mentally – and he couldn’t do anything to help her.

“I…how could I do this to you? I’m so sorry,” he whispered. 

“That…wasn’t you,” Alice coughed out. “It’s not your fau-“

But before she could finish, Loki had turned away and began to let tears streak down his cheeks. Alice trembled as he lifted her with a tight grip of magic. Shutting his eyes so he couldn’t see the desperation in her green ones, he opened the heavy doors with another fit of magic and pushed her outside. His magic set her down on the floor gently and promptly closed the doors behind her. 

Alice rolled over, Loki’s robe tight around her body as she watched a thick layer of ice grow on the door. She crawled backwards as thick spikes of ice grew from the sheets, poking out at anyone who dared to come close. 

Behind the heavy doors, Alice could hear Loki’s screaming, sobbing, and smashing. She cried and crawled forward, pressing her hands to the icy spikes. She heated up her hands, creating a burst of flames. Trying to melt the ice, Alice pressed her fire deeper into the spikes. Yet, no matter how much she tried to burn through them, they stayed sturdy. 

“Don’t do this again,” Alice whispered, falling to the ground. “Please, let me in.”

The doors stayed closed.

*

It was two hours later when Alice was found.

She had been laying on the ground, her back pressed to the ice-covered door. Her sobs had silenced by now as she stared at the ground. She couldn’t hear Loki any longer. Perhaps the fight had left him too. 

“Excuse me? Ma’am are you alright?” 

Alice lifted her head as much as she could muster. The sound of heavy footsteps were coming closer. There was a gasp, then the pounding of feet.

“Alice!” It was Thor. Alice lifted herself up onto her palms and watched him charge towards her. Before she managed to speak, Thor had gathered her up into his arms and held her tightly to his body. She hissed from her sensitive bruises but welcomed the touch. “What has happened to you?”

“Not his fault,” she whispered. She buried her head in Thor’s chest and began to cry again. There was a growl deep in his throat as his hand fisted the back of her robe. 

“Alice, what happened?” Thor growled. Alice looked up at her brother-in-law, her eyes red with tears. She took a step back and rolled up the sleeves of Loki’s robe and began explaining the entire story. The entire time, Thor’s blue eyes were like ice, an almost evil look within them. Alice squirmed under his glare. His lips were pressed into a stern line as he took in Alice’s bruised and battered appearance. 

When she was done, Alice took a deep breath and pointed to the door. “Now, I can’t even get in. He’s locked me out. My fire won’t melt the ice. All I want to do is tell him that this isn’t his fault.”

“But it is.”

“What?” Alice asked. Thor shook his head and pointed to her body.

“Look at you, Alice. He’s practically broken you. How could you love someone who has done this to you?” Thor growled. Alice took a step back and shook her head. 

“There’s something going on with him. This isn’t his fault. Thor, you know him. He’d never hurt me,” Alice said. Thor slammed his fist into the wall and groaned.

“But he just hurt you! He threw you across the room like a doll! He does not love you. This is his true nature,” he said, slowly stalking forward. “If this is what he does to you, what would he do to your children? I know it’s not easy for you to conceive but will he throw fits then? Will the little half-Jotun-half-Asgardian kids you have be abusing you as well? How can you live like this?”

“He is your brother. Why are you saying these things?” Alice asked, tears in her eyes. Thor chuckled and pointed a finger towards the door. 

“The man behind that door is not my brother. He’s hardly a man, he’s an abuser and a monster.”

“He is neither!”

“Then you are a fool if you cannot see that!” Thor bellowed. “You should not love him. He is a beast.”

“How dare you!” Alice shouted. Without even thinking, Alice lashed out and slapped Thor across the face. His head turned, eyes blinking in shock before he slowly moved his head back towards her. Thor rolled his eyes and turned down the hall.

“Guards!” he shouted. For a moment, Alice paused. Would Thor really send her to the prison cells for slapping him? But within moments, a handful of guards rounded the corner. A murmur went out amongst them at seeing Alice’s state. Thor pointed his thumb towards Alice and grumbled, “take her to the healers. Make sure she stays there.”

The guards nodded and surrounded Alice. She stared at Thor as she began walking down the hallway, one of the guards supporting her with a grip around her waist. She narrowed her eyes at the God of Thunder, a sour taste left in her mouth. 

When the ground left the corridor, Thor groaned. He rolled his shoulders and let the black glamor roll over him. With a sigh, the visage of Thor dropped, leaving Ingrid in her true form behind. She smirked at the ice covered door and chuckled.

“It is so easy,” she whispered, running her blue fingers over the door. “You’ll come home soon.”

*

“My Princess, please, just lay back down.”

“I don’t need to.”

“You cannot just leave! We have been trying to repair the damages done to you for hours!”

“I’m perfectly fine!”

“There are bones in your ankle that are shattered! Do you understand how difficult it is for that to happen to an Asgardian?”

“I’m only just halfway through my transformation.”

“It is still nearly impossible. If you would just tell us how this happened, we could heal you faster.”

Alice groaned and ran a shaking hand down her face. Kora, the head healer, was not backing down any time soon. She had to admit that the woman was fierce and determined, but now was not the time to be either of those things. All Alice wanted to do was to go back to her husband’s rooms and beg him to stop his thoughts of self-hatred. Instead, she was cooped up in the healing room with the healers fussing over her for hours upon hours.

She didn’t want to tell Kora how this happened to her. The judgement that would rise because of Loki’s actions would be too troubling. Besides, Alice didn’t blame Loki. He didn’t want to hurt her. He never wanted to. There was something happening to him that went far past his Jotun heritage. Queen Ingrid had done something more than just force his true form on him. But what exactly that was, Alice wasn’t sure.

The doors to the private healing chamber swung open, causing all of the healers to pause. Kora stepped forward, ready to chastise whoever dared to intrude upon them, only to shut her lips promptly when Frigga entered the room. Behind her, Thor rushed in. 

Alice crawled up further onto the bed, holding one hand out with a flame lit in the center. “No, you get out of here, you traitor! I will not hesitate to slap you again!”

“Traitor? Slap me?” Thor asked, clearly seeing Alice’s fiery eyes trained on him. He placed Mjolnir down and held his hands up in defense. Even Frigga watched the exchange in confusion.

“How dare you speak those words about your own brother? I thought you loved him!” Alice yelled. 

“Kora, please be dismissed. I can handle it from here,” Frigga said softly. Kora looked as if she wanted to protest but simply nodded and escorted the rest of the healers out of the room. When the door shut, Frigga looked between her son and her daughter-in-law. “Alice, what do you speak of?”

“Thor found me outside of Loki’s rooms and started calling him horrible and a beast. He even said that he could never love me and that our children would be monsters,” Alice said, tears forming in her eyes. Thor’s jaw dropped and he looked at Alice, shaking his head.

“Alice, I would never say such things. But even past that, I never found you outside of Loki’s rooms,” Thor said. Alice dropped her hand, the red tinge fading from her green eyes.

“What?” she asked, looking to Frigga. The Queen nodded and placed her hands on Alice’s shoulders.

“Thor was with me the entire day, dear. It is not possible for this son of mine to be in two places at once,” Frigga said. Alice’s lips opened and closed, trying to find the right words to say. The room was quiet for a moment before Thor started chuckling.

“Did you really slap me?” he asked. Alice perked an eyebrow up and nodded. Thor smirked and gave her a thumbs up, earning a chuckle for Alice. “That’s my sister.”

“Not to digress off of this but Alice, what did happen to you? Why were you found outside of Loki’s chambers?” Frigga asked. Alice sighed and fell back onto the bed. She quickly explained the entire story again, her heart heavy from reliving it through words yet again. When she finished, she shut her eyes and tried willing her tears to go away. 

“My brother would never lay a finger on Alice. There is something seriously wrong,” Thor muttered. Frigga turned to him and placed a hand on his chest.

“You need to find him. He could be in serious danger. Whoever was pretending to be you was trying to persuade Alice into turning against him. I have a feeling it may be Ingrid but confronting her on this would only bring issues to the table and we cannot afford that, not after what Loki told me. He believes Ingrid is the only person alive who can transform him back. We must play her game carefully,” Frigga said quickly. “Go to his rooms, try to lure him out. He has already hurt me and his wife, you’re the only one left that may be able to reason with him.”

“Of course,” Thor said with a nod. He summoned his hammer into his hand and turned towards the door.

“Wait!” Alice called out. “Let me go! Please, I need to speak to him. I need to tell him this isn’t his fault.”

“No matter what you say, he will not believe it. His guilt will overwhelm him. Perhaps Thor can get through to him,” Frigga said, holding Alice back from trying to get off the bed to join Thor. The God of Thunder nodded and rushed away from the room, leaving behind a sobbing Alice.

And so he went to Loki’s rooms and pounded on the icy doors. He begged to be let in – just to speak with Loki for a moment. When he got no answer, he began to bellow about Alice. He cried out that she didn’t blame him and she was incredibly saddened that he pushed her away. Still, there was no response. Frustrated and aching for his friend, Thor began to beat Mjolnir against the icy spears that stuck out from the door.

The ice remained frozen and still, not even cracking under the pressure of his hammer. Whatever spell his brother had used, it was incredibly powerful. With a roar, Thor slammed himself into the door, begging for Loki to just listen – and if he didn’t want to listen to him, at least listen to his wife. 

“She needs you, Loki. She’s heartbroken,” he said. 

But behind the door, Loki heard nothing. He had no idea that Thor was outside. He also had no idea that Ingrid had cursed the room so Loki would be deaf to whatever happened outside of it.

Clearing his throat, Loki shut his eyes. He took a deep sigh and whispered Ingrid’s name under his breath. There was a glimmer, and suddenly she was crouching before him.

“My poor Loki, what has become of you?” she asked, running her hands along Loki’s face. He shied away from her touch but sat there defeated.

“I have hurt the one person I love more than anything. I destroyed my wife in every way possible,” Loki mumbled, his eyes on the ground. “I do not know what to do. I will only hurt them more. And you will not change me back no matter how much I plead.”

“You know I cannot do that. This is who you were meant to be,” Ingrid purred. “Besides, could your family ever truly forgive you after what you’ve done to them?”

“I…I would hope so,” Loki whispered. Ingrid clicked her tongue and shook her head. She ran her hand through Loki’s hair, her nails slightly scratching his scalp. Beneath her touch, Loki felt that annoying throbbing in his head.

“I saw Princess Alice before,” Ingrid sighed. Loki looked up at her finally, his eyes shining with tears.

“Is she alright?” His voice was shaking. Ingrid pursed her lips, angered that Loki still felt soft towards the little woman. Still, she shrugged.

“I don’t know. The healers said her condition was critical. She is in terrible pain and when presented with the idea of seeing you, she began to scream in fright,” Ingrid said. Loki let his eyes fall to the ground as he felt his heart tighten in his chest. Of course Alice would no longer want to see him. He had hurt her. There was fear in her eyes. There was fear in her eyes solely because of him.

“She said that she loves me this way but I fear it can’t be true,” Loki mumbled. He turned his left hand over, watching his wedding ring glimmer against the light of the candles in his room. As he stared at the gold band, his head throbbed. 

Since when did the ring become so irritating to wear?

“That love must be a lie. She explicitly told the healers that you nearly killed her. I overheard one of them even saying she would take this to King Odin for trial,” Ingrid muttered, her hand stroking Loki’s blue arm. Loki groaned and dropped his head into his hands. His head was pounding and his thoughts were racing a mile a minute. 

His beautiful Alice. His incredible wife. His perfect rose. She feared him. She hated him. She could never love him.

Loki took a deep breath and looked up into Ingrid’s red eyes. He could not stay on Asgard. He would hurt everyone he loved. The kingdom would fear him. He was destructive, maniacal, and perhaps even evil. How could they trust a Frost Giant like him? He was just a monster who battered his innocent wife. If he could not even be gentle with her – the one person he cared about more than anything – how could he possibly be trusted to look over the rest of Asgard calmly?

This behavior would never be accepted. If Alice had truly told the healers of what happened, Loki would be shunned and tossed out of the realm. He had nowhere to go. He’d have to hide in the mountains, seeking somewhere quiet enough that he wouldn’t be found nor disturbed.

But then again, Ingrid did want him to come to Jotunheim – home.

He could escape the realm and leave Alice in the more than capable hands of Thor and Frigga. She would be cared for. He knew Thor would protect her. He didn’t need to hurt her anymore. And then, after he left on his own accord, no one could find him. And even if they did, they’d see him seated on the throne of Jotunheim, jewels dangling between his horns. He wouldn’t need to face ridicule or shame – he left before the story broke after all. 

Loki didn’t want to leave Alice, though some scratchy voice in his mind said he should have long ago. ‘She’s holding you back, after all,’ it groaned between grinding teeth. Loki tried to ignore it. His wife loved him – past tense – and even now that he had hurt her, he wanted to protect her. He wanted her to live a life of peace and happiness. By being in this deadly form, he would only bring dangerous chaos into her world.

“Okay,” Loki said, standing from his spot on the ground. Ingrid lifted an eyebrow and stood up with him.

“And what are you saying okay too, my Prince?” Ingrid asked. Loki’s features went hard and he clenched his hands.

“I will come to Jotunheim with you,” Loki mumbled. “The longer I stay on this realm, the greater danger I pose to it. It is in everyone’s best interest that I simply disappear.”

Ingrid smirked and bowed, her eyes never leaving Loki’s. 

“An excellent choice, my King.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are always loved and appreciated <3
> 
> Also, if you didn't see, I posted on Behind Locked Doors that I'm now taking open submissions for fic requests! If you have an idea for a fic, just let me know in the comment section of ANY of my fics or shoot me a message on my new tumblr - shiningloki!


	6. Departure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this made me so sad. God, why do I do this to myself...
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

“The Frost Giants announced their departure this morning,” Frigga said, leaning over Alice. She ran her hands down Alice’s ankle, pouring her magic in to soothe the dull ache. “They are to leave shortly.”

“Will you not be seeing them off?” Alice asked quietly. Frigga sighed and shook her head. She placed her hands back onto her lap.

“Queen Ingrid requested a quiet departure. They wanted no fanfare or formal goodbyes. It’s typical for Jotuns to come and leave quietly. Heimdall will open the bridge for them and they will be gone,” Frigga said. Alice hummed and leaned back in her healing bed. She fiddled with her thumbs and stared at the white blanket covering her.

“And Loki?” Alice asked, her lower lip now wedged between her teeth. Frigga eyed her carefully, knowing how much pain the girl was in from what happened with Loki. She didn’t blame Loki – neither of them did. Something nefarious was occurring within the palace walls that was causing Loki to lash out. It wasn’t his Jotun genetics – his Asgardian glamor never repressed them. This was something entirely different causing Loki to turn animalistic. 

“No word,” Frigga said softly. She pushed the blanket further up Alice’s body. She patted the girl’s covered legs and smiled. Still, Alice stared blankly down at her lap.

“Shouldn’t we be concerned though?” Alice whispered, flickering her eyes back up to Frigga. “Loki is so dependent on Ingrid being the only one to turn him back. If she leaves, what will he do?”

Frigga hummed thoughtfully but continued to smile. “Perhaps he already found a way to be changed back with that Silver-tongue. Though, that’s a bit unlikely considering he’d probably be here right now if that was the case. Anyway, I actually think her leaving will help. Once Ingrid and her entourage leave, I’m sure it will be easier to find a way to bring his Asgardian form forward.”

“That’s not what I’m concerned about, quite frankly,” Alice sighed. “He isn’t accepting who he is and that’s making him angry. He’s not okay with what he truly looks like. He thinks he’s a monster but he’s not! It’s just…if he keeps thinking this way, his frustration and anger will stop him from ever finding peace with himself, even if we do get his Asgardian appearance back.”

Frigga paused thoughtfully. Alice was right. Now that his Frost Giant form was brought forward against his will and he witnessed himself harming the person he loved most in that form, he would never forgive himself. He’d live with that fear of that danger coming forward again. Frigga stared out the window and nodded slowly.

“You are perhaps the only person that could make him forgive himself,” Frigga whispered, shutting her eyes and rocking slowly. 

“I almost had him at peace,” Alice said, staring down at the white blanket. “He was smiling and laughing. It was as if he forgot what he looked like. Then, he saw what he did to me and all of that hard work crumbled.”

“Worry not,” Frigga said, reaching forward and grasping Alice’s hand. “He will come back to us once more.”

Just then, the door to Alice’s healing chamber swung open. With heavy footsteps, Thor trampled into the room and grabbed the wall. Frigga stood from her spot on Alice’s bed and approached her son.

“Thor?” Frigga asked. Thor looked up, his eyes flickering between the two women.

“Something happened to Loki’s rooms,” Thor said quickly. Alice sat up in her bed, swinging her sore legs over the side of the bed. “I went by to try and reason with him again and the ice on his door was completely gone. I went inside and he wasn’t there.”

As Thor explained what he saw when he got to Loki’s rooms, a young healer drifted inside and began checking Alice’s bruises. Alice watched Thor with teary eyes, her heart pounding in her chest. Where could Loki have gone? What caused him to finally leave his rooms?

And if he did leave, why didn’t he come to see her?

“So, really, I searched all over his room for some sort of clues but I couldn’t find him,” Thor said, out of breath. “I have no idea where Loki could have gone.”

“Pardon me, my Queen?” the healer asked. Frigga turned to the young girl. “I do not mean to eavesdrop but I just saw Prince Loki exiting the palace mere moments ago.”

“Leaving the palace?” Alice asked. The healer nodded and gestured towards the window. 

“Yes, indeed. I saw him walking with the Jotuns,” she said. Alice thrusted the blankets away from her body and she sprung out of bed. She ignored the calls from Frigga and Thor as she ran from the room. 

Her dress flowed around her bare feet as she ran through the palace. She didn’t bother stopping to change or throw on shoes. She needed to find Loki and she had an inkling where he’d be. If the Frost Giants announced they would be leaving this morning and Loki was seen with them, Alice feared that he’d be forced to leave with them.

Her feet pounded harder against the marble floor as she pushed the palace doors open. The guards stared at her in confusion. Her ankle was throbbing dangerously and she knew that she wouldn’t make it to the Bifrost in time. Rushing over to one of the guards, she used her royal privilege to get him to dismount his horse. She hopped onto the mare and kicked her side, causing the white horse to take off in a gallop.

“Heimdall!” Alice called to the sky. “Don’t let Loki leave! Whatever you do, just get him to stay until I show up!” 

She hoped it was enough and that the guardian heard her. She faintly heard an acknowledgement in the back of her head and she mindfully thanked Heimdall for looking out for her.

She gripped the horse’s reins with white knuckles. Her heart pounded with every battering step of the mare. Alice felt tears stinging her eyes as she maneuvered through the crowded streets of Asgardian. People hopped and dodged out of her way, terribly annoyed until they saw the woman atop of the giant horse. When they laid their eyes on the Princess, they bowed their heads and simply kept walking as if they weren’t almost trampled.

With every passing minute, Alice panicked more and more. She couldn’t lose her husband – not now, not after everything they had gone through. She kicked the mare’s side harder, begging the horse to run faster. She promised the animal that once they safely returned with Loki, she’d be free to run through the pastures and eat all of the apples she desired. 

When she finally reached the start of the Bifrost, Alice could barely make out the forms of several blue figures at the mouth of the golden dome on the other end. She reared the horse forward and raced down the bridge.

“Stop!” she screamed. The horse slid on the bridge as Alice hopped down from its back. The Jotuns turned around, their faces indifferent. Behind them, Queen Ingrid turned around. Her face, on the other hand, was seething with rage. She quickly covered it up with an innocent smile. Beside her, Loki stood tall, his eyes trained on Alice. Except, this time, his eyes were those beautiful ocean greens. 

“Alice?” Loki asked as he crept forward. Alice looked up and down his body, clad in black robes. His skin was back to its creamy complexion and there were no horns sticking out from his raven hair. He looked as every bit Asgardian as he always did. Alice stepped closer to him, and though he glided closer, he refused to reach out to her. He could still see the bruises and scratches that marred her skin.

“Your skin,” Alice whispered. Loki stood in front of her, his hands closed in fists at his side. He shook his head and looked away, not able to look at her when he had done so much damage. 

“It’s an illusion. Ingrid placed it over me so I could pass through the city without suspicion. I’m still stuck in my Jotun form,” he mumbled. Alice stepped closer and pressed her hands to Loki’s chest. She could feel his heart racing beneath her touch. Looking up at his smooth face, Alice threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Loki stayed still but gently placed his arms around her waist and held her. He ran his fingers up and down her spine incredibly lightly and simply relished in the feeling of holding her for the last time. 

That was, until the headache set in.

Loki groaned and rolled his head backwards, his thoughts clouded by the intense throbbing. Ingrid coughed from behind Loki’s back, her eyes glaring at the couple. Alice pulled back and ran her hands down Loki’s chest, her brows furrowed together.

“Where are you going with her?” Alice whispered. Loki let his hands fall from around Alice’s waist and he took a step back.

“Jotunheim,” he answered quietly. Alice raised her eyebrows and looked between the Jotun Queen and Loki. She shook her head and reached down to grab Loki’s hand. He twitched under her touch and she could still feel the chill of his skin.

“When will you be back?” Alice asked. Loki sucked in a breath of air and turned away. He ran his thumb over Alice’s hand. Sighing, Loki rolled his shoulders and looked back at his wife. She was staring at him with fear and sadness in her eyes. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and grab her, press her body to his, and never let her go. Yet, with the condition of her skin, he knew he would hurt her if he did so.

“Alice, I won’t be coming back. I’m leaving permanently,” Loki said stiffly. Alice dropped his hand and covered her mouth. She shook her head furiously back and forth, tears pooling in her eyes.

“What?” she asked, her voice a broken whisper. “What? No! No, you can’t! What – why? Why are you doing this?”

Her rambling was bothering his headache. Loki pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead, trying to get the ache to go away. He groaned and dropped his hand, staring at his wife’s wet face. He sighed and licked his lips. 

“It is my birthright to be King of Jotunheim. I am simply fulfilling that need,” Loki said. Alice scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

“No, that’s bullshit. Jotunheim already has a queen,” Alice said, jolting her chin towards Ingrid. She glared at the blue woman, a growl rising in her throat. She jutted a finger out at her and crept forward. “You! This is your fault! What did you do to my husband?!”

“Alice, relax,” Loki hissed. 

“Why are you doing this to him? Can’t you see he doesn’t want this!” Alice yelled. With a flame lit in her hand, Alice began to rush towards Ingrid. Loki swooped in, grabbing Alice around her waist and holding her back. When his arm collided with her abdomen, Alice let out a sharp yelp and doubled over in pain, her ribs still sore from being tossed against Loki’s wall. Upon hearing her gasp, Loki let his grip go, his hands held against his chest as he watched his wife hold her stomach in pain. She fell to her knees and rocked back and forth, tears streaming down her face as she nursed her bruise. 

“That is why,” Loki whispered, his own eyes beginning to fill with tears. Alice looked up at him and choked on her sobs. 

“Please, don’t do this,” she whispered. Loki shook his head and dropped to one knee.

“I must,” he whispered. “I must do this for you.”

“Stay here. Don’t leave me,” she begged. She crawled forward and pressed her hands to Loki’s cheeks. “I don’t care who you truly are. I don’t care what happened. You didn’t mean to hurt me. It wasn’t your fault. I love you, Loki. I love you on this timeline, the past one, and the next. So please, do not leave me. Stay here. We can find happiness and peace for you. I will do everything I can to make sure of it.”

She fell forward, leaning against Loki’s solid body and sobbing. Loki’s heart was aching in his chest as he heard his wife cry against him – for him, because of him. He listened to her pleading and he couldn’t bear to leave her. He couldn’t leave his wife behind. She had done so much for him, she didn’t deserve to feel this pain. His love for this woman could fill the dark vastness of space with the purest light. She meant everything to him and he wanted nothing more than to protect her. 

Yet, as his headache increased, he felt his head loll down. Staring ahead of him, he watched the green skirt of Alice’s dress ride up. It pooled around her knees, her bare feet trembling. Along her calves were bites and bruises, tears in her skin. Her ankle was swollen and purple, almost tinged red. A voice whispered in Loki’s head that he had done this and he would continue to do this if he were to stay around her.

As he looked down at her body, Loki knew that the only way he could protect Alice was to stay away from her. Loki knew that if he stayed with Alice, she may say she was happy but she would only end up torn apart, bruised and harmed even more. If he left her here with Thor to care for her, she would never feel that pain again. She would get over him – he knew she would, he was just a monster invading her perfect life. With a sigh, Loki pressed his hands to Alice’s shoulders. He heard her whimper in pain and it only solidified his decision. 

“Alice,” Loki said sternly. She leaned back and looked into his eyes. They dazzled with unshed tears. He offered her a faint smile as he leaned forward. He raised one hand, snapping two fingers together and wrapping her feet in golden sandals. He sighed and smiled softly at her. “I love you.”

Pressing his hand softly to Alice’s cut cheek, Loki swiped his thumb over her cheekbone. He knelt forward and gently kissed Alice’s forehead. A tear fell from his shut eyes as he let his lips linger of her forehead. She sniffled beneath him and shut her own eyes, her hands fisting in his robes. With a sigh, Loki leaned away from Alice and quickly stood, removing her hands from his clothing. He turned around and hurried towards Ingrid.

“What? Loki, no!” Alice shouted. She struggled to get to her feet, her ankle buckling underneath her. She yelped softly in pain, causing Loki to turn around and look at her once more. She watched a tear fall down his cheek before Ingrid ordered the Jotuns to crowd around him. Heimdall stood at the mouth of the Bifrost, his hands on the sword. “Heimdall, no! Don’t let them go!”

“Princess –“

“This is a direct order from the Princess! You are not to let them leave!” she yelled. Heimdall sighed and turned to her. 

“I’m under order of King Odin to let them leave,” Heimdall said lowly. Alice sucked in a sharp breath and she locked eyes with the guardian. She knew he wasn’t lying as he sent her a remorseful look. Heimdall turned back around and turned the key to the Bifrost, opening up the portal.

Alice rushed forward, hobbling on her ankle as she shouted Loki’s name. He stepped forward towards the Bifrost, doing his best to not look back. Yet, he glanced over his shoulder and watched his wife rushing towards him with tears cascading down her face. He knew that if he looked too long, he would only be tempted to stay. The voice in his head demanded he leave, and with one final look at his wife, he stepped through the Bifrost’s portal and disappeared.

Falling to the ground in front of the now-closed Bifrost, Alice clutched her chest and screamed. Heimdall watched her, his heart heavy with regret and sorrow. Alice clawed at her ground, her tears puddling beneath her as she shouted Loki’s name. She turned to Heimdall and wiped her cheeks.

“Open the Bifrost now. I demand to go to Jotunheim,” Alice hissed. Heimdall shook his head and frowned.

“I cannot. I am –“

“Under the order of King Odin?” she seethed. Heimdall nodded and stepped down from his post. He removed his helmet and placed it on the steps of the pedestal. He gathered Alice into his arms and let her cry against him. 

“Why is he doing this?” Heimdall couldn’t tell if Alice was referring to Loki or Odin, but he could not answer for either. Instead, he stroked his hand down her back and let her release all of her frustration out on him. When she finally pulled back, her face swollen from her sobs, her green eyes were full of determination.

“I am not losing my husband,” she growled. Removing herself from Heimdall’s arms, Alice pounded back towards the unsteady mare. She hopped onto the horse’s back, kicked her side, and began racing down the Bifrost.

Heimdall stood behind, watching Alice ride down the bridge. He flickered his golden eyes to the ceiling, searching for Loki in the cosmos. He had landed in Jotunheim and he could feel the guardian’s eyes on him. Loki whispered an apology as his blue skin overtook him once more before promptly closing off their connection, blinding Heimdall to him for good.

*

“Odin Allfather!” Alice shouted as she burst into the throne room. She limped across the marble floor, earning the attention of Thor. He ran to her side, capturing Alice’s body in his arms and helping her stand. She thanked him as she kept both of her eyes on Odin. He sat on his throne, gripping his staff with white knuckles. Frigga stood beside him, her lip worried between her teeth.

“This is a private gathering,” Odin stated. 

“Not anymore,” Alice hissed. She pointed a finger at Odin and shook it in the air. She felt Thor’s arms tightening around her body, restricting her movements. “Why did you demand that they leave? This is your fault!”

“Princess, watch your tone,” Odin said in a quiet voice. Alice growled and pressed her palm to Thor’s body, igniting a small flame. Thor jumped back at the heat, releasing Alice. She strutted forward closer to Odin and stood over him with one hand lit with a flame, igniting her irises a ruby red hue.

“Heimdall could have closed the Bifrost but you specifically instructed him to make sure they were able to leave. Why?” Alice asked, her hand trembling beside her. Frigga stepped forward and rested a soft hand on Alice’s shoulder. Alice flinched but relaxed into the Allmother’s touch, the flame falling from her hand.

“What does she speak of, Odin?” Frigga asked. Odin sighed and sunk further into his throne, rubbing a wrinkled hand across his face.

“Queen Ingrid said that Loki requested to be brought home to Jotunheim so he could fulfill his role as King. I told Heimdall to make sure they left. I thought it would be for the best,” Odin said, waving one hand through the air. Frigga stiffened beside Alice, her grip tightening on the girl’s shoulder.

“So Loki is…?” Frigga trailed off, her eyes drifting towards the ground.

“Gone. He left for Jotunheim just now. I couldn’t get him to stay,” Alice said, her voice shaking with emotion. There was a pounding behind them. Alice turned to see Thor punching one of the marble columns, causing the thick pole to crack and shake.

“Father! Why would you think this to be a good idea?” Thor rumbled. Odin looked down his pointed nose at his son and grunted.

“Loki has always wanted to be King. This is good for him. It is a way for him to live the life he always wanted,” Odin said with a weak shrug. Alice scoffed and stepped forward again, her now-sandaled feet tapping against the hard floor. 

“Have you learned nothing from these timelines? Haven’t you seen that Loki has no interest in the throne? On both of the timelines we lived on, he hasn’t fought for it any longer,” Alice said. Odin stood and crashed his staff against the ground. He looked at the girl and pointed his staff towards her.

“You are stubborn in this belief,” Odin said. He walked across his podium and ran a hand over his bearded chin. “After Queen Ingrid arrived, Loki had been acting suspicious. I would wake in the night with restless thoughts of him. I walked through the palace only to find him staring at the throne. The staff was in his hands and I could see it, the power in his gaze. He wanted it.”

“You’re wrong,” Alice said. “After the Jotuns arrived, Loki had been acting so strangely. Then, Ingrid places that curse on him and now he’s chasing the throne of Jotunheim? She’s done something to him, Odin.”

“Curse? What curse?” Odin asked. 

“Ingrid forcibly transformed Loki back into his Jotun visage. He is stuck in his natural form. Even I could not change him back,” Frigga said. She quickly summarized what had happened with Loki, ranging from what occurred to her in his rooms to what happened to Alice. Odin grunted and sat back down.

“Perhaps it is for the better he has gone then. The Bifrost to Jotunheim shall remain closed,” Odin mumbled. Alice gasped and charged forward, only to be held back by Frigga.

“That is your son you speak of! You would leave him, abandon him? How dare you!” Alice yelled. Behind her, Thor walked forward and tightened his grip around Mjolnir.

“Father, you know that I always listen to you but this time, I cannot. I will do whatever it takes to get Loki back,” Thor growled. Odin sighed and pointed to Alice.

“If he does this to the woman he supposedly loves, his own wife, what would he do to someone that enrages him? He is a dangerous man. He must stay where he is to protect us all,” Odin said. As Thor was about to speak, Odin slammed his staff against the ground. Alice could swear she felt the palace rumble and groan in protest. “Loki will stay on Jotunheim. If he is truly to be King, then I cannot go against him or Ingrid. Doing so would bring war to both of the realms. If he chooses to come back to Asgard, I shall reconsider. Until then, the Bifrost shall remain closed and anyone who dares to open it will be sent to the prison cells.”

“I don’t care about your decree. I will get my husband back,” Alice said. Odin raised a thick, white brow towards his hairline. 

“You would risk imprisonment for him?” he snarled. Alice snorted out a laugh and nodded.

“I’ve been imprisoned on Asgard in one lifetime. Might as well get imprisoned again on this one,” Alice purred. Odin slammed his staff on the ground and demanded the trio be swept from the room. 

As the guards escorted Alice and Thor down the hall, the God of Thunder looked to his sister-in-law.

“We’ll think of something,” he said, his blue eyes shining with a bit of Loki’s mischief. Alice smirked and nodded, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall once more. 

“Good, because I don’t know what I’ll do if we don’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are always loved and appreciated <3
> 
> Fic requests are OPEN! Comment your fic requests below or send me a message/ask on my tumblr (shiningloki)!!


	7. Power

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, it's like I WANT to make myself sad by writing stuff like this. Honestly.
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

The moment Loki landed on Jotunheim, it felt as if he had been punched in the chest.

He dropped to his knees, his robes getting soaked from the building snow, and let his head roll towards the ground. His hands rested on his thighs and he watched his pale skin revert to its nearly glowing sapphire tone. The Frost Giants watched him, patiently waiting for their new king to stand again. 

When it was clear he would not be getting up any time soon, Ingrid stepped forward. She placed her hand under Loki’s chin and forced the man to look up at her. His eyes were a muted red. They held no emotion. For what it’s worth, that was typically a good thing for Jotuns. In this case, Ingrid was pissed.

She wanted Loki to feel vibrant and empowered. He was becoming King after all! She growled and pressed her clawed fingers into Loki’s skin and leaned down closer to him.

“You better show some strength as we enter the palace, my King,” Ingrid said. “It would not be wise for the new King of Jotunheim to appear saddened and weak for his coronation.” 

Loki said nothing. He stood from his spot on the ground, ignoring how wet the knees of his pants had become, and began walking forward. The Jotuns followed behind him quietly, the only sound present was the crunching of snow and ice beneath their feet. Ingrid walked by Loki’s side, her hand resting on his upper arm. 

Jotunheim was not much different than when Loki was here many years ago. Gray, almost blue, mountains jutted up from the land and broke off into canyons which held freezing cold rivers. Snow whipped through the air and assaulted the traveling group, beating against their faces in anger. The palace was essentially a block of rock and ice, standing tall and thin. The muted colors of it helped it blend into the scenery.

And the inside of the palace wasn’t much to gawk at either. It was quite barren except for stone-worked furniture and animal-pelt rugs. Devoid of any commemorative murals or potted foliage, the castle felt less like a royal abode and more like a cold cavern dug into the mountainside. 

“This is where you will be staying,” Ingrid said, gesturing to a set of stone doors. “Enter. These are your private chambers. Mine are located adjacent. I will come fetch you momentarily for the coronation.”

Loki nodded and pushed open the stone doors. He regarded two Jotun soldiers standing guard at his door, spears pressed to their chests in defense. Loki closed the door behind him and observed his rooms. They were just as vacant and cold as the rest of the palace. 

In his solitude, he sobbed.

“What have I done?” Loki cried, pressing a blue hand to his chest. His heart was pounding and his head was swimming. He noted, for the first time in a while, that his head was completely clear. 

Loki made a mistake, he knew it. He shouldn’t have come to Jotunheim. When he closed his eyes, he pictured Alice’s face, broken and pained by his leaving. In his clarity, Loki knew that there was something happening to him. He would never choose to hurt Alice of his own volition. Not even in his wildest anger had he ever considered laying a finger on her that wasn’t loving. 

Beyond that, he would never think of leaving her either.

Pressing his hands to his head, Loki used what magic he could muster to search the tendrils of his mind. He dove into every crevice, causing groans of pain to escape his lips. He was dipping into parts of his mind that he chose to repress and ignore. He was searching for something that could give him answers.

Exhausted, Loki fell to the ground but continued to search through his head. Perusing the memories of others was easy, though slightly troublesome, but perusing the memories of himself was excruciating. Loki had been close to giving up until he found a small lick of magic within his head.

He latched onto it before it could disappear. Tracing that magic caused a heat to flare in his chest that mirrored evil, dark magic. Loki felt the temptation of it – the ease of power that it gave off – and he almost reached out to give into it. Pushing through it, he pictured his wife and how he wanted to get back to her, and he was able to detect where the magic had come from.

Once he touched that magic, a soaring headache returned to him. His hands fell to the ground and the ache disappeared. Rubbing one blue hand across his face, Loki let out a sharp gasp.

The headaches. The anger. The magic. The danger.

It was not him. Ingrid had been controlling his mind. It was no wonder the headaches felt so familiar. His time with Thanos and the mind stone had proved that it was a side effect of mind control. But how could he have been so careless? How could he have not seen it before?

Struggling to his feet, Loki attempted to push that dark magic out of his mind. Yet, within his Frost Giant form, his powers were weakened. They were suppressed by the hold that Ingrid had over him. He wondered how much of his magic had been locked away by her curse and how easily he would be able to retrieve it.

Loki needed to get home. He needed to return to Asgard. It was not himself making these decisions that led him here. Yet, it also wasn’t truly Ingrid. Her dark magic was influencing him, whispering to him what he wanted and he chose to listen. Loki could have impaled himself with one of his daggers for being so foolish.

“For the most powerful sorcerer in all the realms, I’ve surely been weakened,” Loki grumbled while cleaning his robes off. Ingrid was difficult, her magic impossibly strong. How she could have done this, Loki had no idea. But he would soon figure it out.

He would need to get back to Asgard quickly before her thrall over him became too strong again. Concocting a quick plan, Loki decided to wait until after his coronation. He would wear the crown and then demand immediate entry back to Asgard. He’d alert the realm of what Ingrid had done and he’d lead an army back to defeat her.

Well, maybe he’d wait a day to defeat her. He needed to apologize to Alice first.

Loki groaned. Alice. He had done so much to hurt her. He was sure that even returning to Asgard would cause her more heartbreak, for she’d need to face the pain that he’d put onto her. Loki clenched his fists and stared out the frosted window. He needed to get home to her. 

A pounding on the stone door tore Loki out of his reverie. He couldn’t show his emotions to Ingrid. If he did, she’d be more inclined to place her control over him more. Instead, Loki held his head high and smirked as she walked inside. 

“Took you long enough,” Loki grumbled with an eye roll. He stepped forward and placed a hand on Ingrid’s cheek. “It is time for Jotunheim to meet their King.”

“So you’ve come to your senses?” she purred. Loki nodded and chuckled.

“This is what I’ve always wanted, yes? It was just a fit of emotion holding me back before. I feel full of excellence now,” Loki said with a grin.

Ingrid’s eyes flashed a wild, erotic red color. She chuckled and removed herself from Loki’s hand, leading him down the hallway. Loki felt relief wash over him at the fact that his head remained clear. Clearly, his pride and confidence was enough of a trick that Ingrid didn’t feel threatened.

The coronation was short and meaningless in Loki’s mind. Frost Giants gathered in the royal hall to watch the Son of Laufey receive his rightful crown. Loki stood in front of the throne, murmuring commitments and lies to the Jotuns. Throughout the ceremony, his mind wandered to his plan of escape. Surely as King, no one could stop him from leaving the realm. He was sure Heimdall was listening and would immediately open the Bifrost should he ask him to.

When he got back to Asgard, the first thing he would do was go to his wife. He’d fall to his blue knees and ask for forgiveness. He’d explain what happened, and though he wouldn’t use it as an excuse, he’d still press kisses up her hands and swear to be better. Loki thought about how his blue lips would leave chilled kisses along his wife’s body and he shuddered.

Perhaps a trip to Frigga first to figure out a way to break the spell again, then he’d visit his wife.

Thoughts of his wife swarmed his head as the Jotuns began murmuring royal chants. Loki was ashamed at his cock hardening beneath his swaying robes just thinking about Alice’s warm body. He supposed it was probably a good thing, though, for Ingrid would assume his arousal was from the royal praise. 

“And now, it is time to dress our ruler. All hail King Loki,” Ingrid chanted with a viper-like grin. The crowd repeated the phrase as she turned to the new King. “You have the title. Now it’s time to fit the role.”

With a snap of her fingers, two young Jotuns approached the throne. Loki watched with patience as the boys stripped him from his heavy over-robes. They stripped the King until he was only in his boots and leather pants. His torso was completely visible. They came around his back and shrugged a much lighter black robe over his shoulders. They left it open in the front, the bare chest a sign of prestige and power amongst the Jotuns. 

Next, they circled back around as two young Jotun girls approached the throne with pillows in their hands. The boys picked the item off of the pillow in the left girl’s hands. Between them, they held a series of thin silver chains that were dripping with glittering rubies. Loki bent his head as they decorated his horns with the chains. They wrapped around the individual horns and dangled in between them, creating a link between the two spires popping out of Loki’s head. Loki tilted his head back up, hearing the innocent clinking of the rubies against the silver chain.

Lastly, Ingrid approached the girl on the right and lifted what lay in her pillow. Ingrid kept the item pressed to her stomach, not letting Loki see it. From what he could tell, it was a silver headpiece that would drape over his forehead. She turned to the King and grinned. 

“I have won,” she whispered. Loki parted his lips to inquire what she meant but she silenced him by putting the crown on. As soon as the cold metal touched his head, Loki stumbled backwards and grabbed his head. 

It was pounding again.

But it felt…good.

Loki let his fingers ghost over the crown as the Jotuns began cheering. His concern faded as he took in the sight of all of Jotunheim cheering for him. His chest swelled and a smirk graced his face. He chuckled and admired the way he shouted his name. Maybe he could get used to this.

“This is all for you, King Loki,” Ingrid purred as she dropped to her knees. The rest of the hall fell to their knees in reverence. Loki smirked and stepped back, falling with ease into his thrown. He crossed one long leg over his other and began to laugh. 

As the hall continued their cheers and Loki continued basking in their praise, Ingrid eyed the crown, glowing with a dark aura. Not only was her magic supplying the charm, but it was feeding off of Loki’s magic, as well. The crown was strengthening its hold over Loki and he didn’t even know it. There was nothing he could do to overcome its power.

King Loki of Jotunheim would not be returning to Asgard any time soon.

*

Sitting in Loki’s rooms wasn’t helping Alice. The furniture had been put back together, cleaned, and left in pristine condition. It was like Loki was never here.

She was stuck in a terribly hard place. She could try to access the Bifrost but that would have her thrown in jail – and being in jail definitely wasn’t the best place to try and get Loki from. There were secret paths off of Asgard but Loki had never shown her them. They were known only to him. After all, they never had a reason to need those secret paths. 

She could hijack a ship, which seemed to be the best option, except Alice couldn’t pilot a ship. She could barely drive a car. Thor could help her with that one though. Her only issue was that Asgard didn’t own space-traveling ships. The only ships they owned were best for commuting across the realm. The vessel would break apart in space before they even breached the edge of Asgard.

Pacing, Alice didn’t know what to do. She could try and sort through Loki’s books and try to find answers there. That, actually, seemed like a good idea. She was sure her husband owned something – anything – on Jotunheim. Maybe one of those books held some sort of answers on ways to travel there.

So that’s what Alice set her sights on. She spent her hours cooped up in Loki’s rooms, buried in mounds of blankets trying to take in his smell. It was distant but she could still feel it tingle her nose – leather, snow, and pine. She curled into the scent and tried to memorize it before it faded from the blankets. 

She never left Loki’s rooms. Eya would bring her food, inviting her to join the royal family. Alice would simply wave her off and stick her nose back into her book. She only ate because she knew she would need the strength to get Loki back.

Oh, and to fight off Ingrid. She’d probably need to do that too.

But eating was growing harder and harder as Alice found herself getting sick. She woke up nauseous and dizzy. Her stomach would cramp at the most inconvenient times. She felt fatigue with every step she took.

Clearly, Loki’s absence was taking an extreme toll on her body.

Between all of that, Alice tried to sleep to at least rid herself of the fatigue – that never worked. Alice would wake up in tears, clutching her chest and screaming Loki’s name. If only he knew how much pain she was in. Maybe he’d come back to her.

But that wasn’t looking likely. After the first week had gone by, Alice was positive that Ingrid had sunken her claws into Loki and had convinced him that he needed to stay there. Her heart pounded in her chest just thinking about the misery and guilt her husband must be living in. There was nothing she could do to help him. 

Perhaps the worst thoughts were the ones of Loki being with Ingrid. After all, she was Queen. If she was taking Loki as her King then did that mean he was devoted to her? Was she trying to make him fall for her? Alice felt bile rising in her throat as she thought about him fucking her, his blue cock driving into her. Would he at least think about his wife at home? Then, she imagined Loki moaning Ingrid’s name. That was what caused her to run to her bathroom and spill all the contents in her stomach into the toilet. 

Falling onto the marble ground, clutching the porcelain toilet in her hands, Alice knew she couldn’t live like this. She had to do something to reach out to Loki. She needed to tell him that he had to come her – her bruises had faded and he wouldn’t see the result of what happened – and that she loved him. She needed him to keep loving her. 

*

“I cannot send you to Jotunheim,” Heimdall said, not even facing Alice. She rolled her eyes and approached him anyway, her walk much steadier since the last time he saw her.

“I’m not asking to go to Jotunheim,” she said. Alice walked up the steps to stand beside him on the pedestal. She turned to the guardian and placed his hands over his.

“Do not try to turn the key against my will,” he groaned. Alice chuckled but didn’t move her hands. Instead, she simply squeezed them.

“Do you remember the last time I stood with you like this?” she asked. “It was when I was stuck on Asgard and I wanted to check up on my friends. You were able to transport me into Tony Stark’s office. Of course, they couldn’t see me but I could see them. That was fun.”

“You wouldn’t bring this up for no reason, Princess,” Heimdall said with a smirk. Alice nudged him and chuckled.

“Precisely. I want you to do that to me again,” she said. “This time, for Loki.”

“It would only break your heart,” Heimdall mumbled. Alice furrowed her eyebrows and swallowed. Did he see what Loki was doing on Jotunheim? Did he see him with Ingrid? Was he happier there? Heimdall sensed Alice’s fear and turned to her, placing one hand on her back. “It would break your heart because it would not work.”

“Why?” she asked. Heimdall sighed and returned his hand to the sword in front of him, his golden eyes gazing out at the stars.

“Because he has shut off his connection to me. I cannot see him,” Heimdall said grimly. Alice choked back her impending tears. She really had no way to see her husband. She had no way to tell if he was okay. 

“How long ago did he shut you out?” she asked, her voice a weak whisper. He looked at Alice out of the corner of his eye and grunted.

“The moment he landed on Jotunheim. I saw him fall to the ground in sadness and then he closed off my sight to him,” Heimdall explained. Alice dropped her hands from the sword in front of her and wrung her hands together nervously. She wasn’t sure how she’d be able to live without knowing that Loki was okay. Heimdall cleared his throat and sighed, “his last words to me were apologies to you.”

Alice looked up at the guardian with tears dancing in her eyes. She swallowed a cry and threw her arms around Heimdall. She let out her sobs against his armor. It was cold against her cheek and reminded her vaguely of Loki’s skin, just much harder and more golden. 

“I can’t do this, Heimdall! I need to see him! I need to get to him! Please, there must be a way!” she cried, clinging to his body. She looked up, a sudden hope in her eyes. “Ingrid! Can you see Ingrid?”

Heimdall sighed and shook his head. “No. She is cut off to me too.”

“Really? Anyone? Is there anyone on Jotunheim you can see?” Alice begged. 

“It is as if the entire realm has simply disappeared. The last thing I saw was Loki being crowned. He looked fearful but confident. It was almost as if he had a plan. Then, the moment the crown touched his head, the entire realm went dark,” Heimdall said, his voice low and laced with anger. Alice jumped away from him and stormed down the pedestal’s steps. She paced throughout the golden dome, pulling at her hair and wondering how she could possibly stand to live like this.

Before Ingrid came to Asgard, Loki and Alice were inseparable. Of course, Loki went off to take care of his duties and Alice spent her days learning more about Asgardian culture and history. Yet, at the end of the day, the two always found their way back to one another. Whether it was for brief meals or for passionate love making in the middle of the night, Loki was always there for Alice. He vowed to protect her and love her always. She vowed to always care for him and be loyal to only him.

Now, he was gone. She felt like half of her heart was stranded in the depths of Jotunheim. 

If she tried to get him back, she’d be thrown in jail. If she just waited here, there was no chance of getting Loki to come home. She had no options. Heimdall couldn’t see Loki or anyone on Jotunheim. For the first time on this timeline, Alice truly felt alone.

“Thank you for your help, Heimdall,” Alice whispered, completely defeated. She turned to leave the dome but Heimdall’s booming voice stopped her.

“There is a way you can get to him,” he said. Alice turned around slowly, her cheeks streaked with salty tears.

“What?”

“I cannot tell you, though,” Heimdall said. He turned to look at her with a faint smile on his lips. 

“Then why even bring it up?” she hissed. Heimdall chuckled and stepped down to be on the same floor as her. He placed a heavy hand on her shoulder and offered a kind grin.

“Hope,” he said. 

Alice rolled her eyes and snorted. “Hope. A lot of good that will do.”

“Helping you would be treason. But you can leave. There is always a way,” he said quietly. Alice stared at him blankly, half angry and half upset that he would leave her with no answers. He cocked his head to the side and squinted under his helmet. “Say, have you checked up on your friend Vision lately?”

“Stop speaking to me in riddles. I have no patience for this right now,” Alice said, pushing his hand off of her shoulder. She left the dome in a frenzy of anger, ignoring the fresh tears that now stained her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are always loved and appreciated! <3
> 
> Fic requests are currently CLOSED due to an upcoming vacation! 
> 
> Visit me on tumblr @ shiningloki!


	8. Sleeping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whaaaat?? A FRIDAY update? I know, I know. I decided to update this fic early because I'm going to be away all of next week and I didn't want you guys to wait like 2 weeks for an update. So, have one early!!
> 
> Since I'm going to be away next week, there will be NO new fics for a while. But when I get back, fic requests will be open again and I'll start rolling out new content!
> 
> Thanks for reading and enjoy!

“It has only been three weeks since you took the throne, Sire, and Jotunheim is prospering!” Ingrid cheered. She stared out the glass window, and though it was crusted over with frost and ice, she could still see the markets below thriving with trade for the first time in years.

“Yes, well it really wasn’t that hard,” Loki said snidely. She turned to see the King lounging on his throne. A Jotun girl was cleaning his boots as he sharpened his dagger. He looked up at Ingrid and smirked. “Open the mines, increase food rations, bring in the mountain tribes, it really wasn’t complicated to get the system going.”

“You are just that smart, Your Highness,” Ingrid purred, ghosting over towards Loki. He chuckled and dismissed the Jotun at his feet. She bowed in front of Loki before scurrying off from the room. Loki hummed and twirled his dagger in his hand. He watched the metal of the blade reflect the silver and ruby rings on his hand. Ingrid stared down at his hands and grimaced when she saw his wedding ring still there. “How have you been fairing, my King?”

“This place is abominably frigid but it’s growing on me,” Loki said with a shrug. “The palace could use more…décor. Other than that, I would declare myself quite content if it wasn’t for my lack of sleep.”

“You have trouble sleeping, Sire?” Ingrid asked. Loki nodded, his dagger spinning between two of his fingers. “I do as well. Perhaps we should spend the night together. Jotuns have always found it easier to sleep when their bed is warmed by the presence of another.”

Loki waved his hand dismissively, his dagger glinting in the air. “Nonsense. I have no interest in this.”

Ingrid hid her grimace. All of her plans were going accordingly. He hadn’t mentioned Asgard once nor had he expressed any interest in leaving. He was thriving in his position as King and he was actually helping the realm. Yet, he still hadn’t bent to Ingrid’s persistent affection. It was the final part in her plan that he had yet to succumb to and she wasn’t sure he ever would. No matter how much magic she pushed into his mind, part of him resisted.

Did that girl have such a hold on him? He never mentioned her but he still wore her ring. Occasionally, she saw a glint in his eyes as he stared out the window and she wondered if he was thinking of her. If he was, he never showed it. The King was stoic and emotionless. In those times of wonder, Ingrid would thrust herself forward, breasts pressed to the King. He would wave her off and speak of business he needed to attend to.

Perhaps her spell of being drawn to power was too strong. Nevertheless, she would wait. His memories of his little wife would fade overtime and the Jotuns would demand the King take a Frost Giant wife. As present Queen, it would only make sense for Ingrid to wed him. Then, even if the Asgardians came riding in to save the day, he wouldn’t dare to leave. He had his new life of royalty and marriage, after all.

Ingrid stood from her spot beside Loki and pressed a hand to his shoulder. He looked away and she could see that distant glint in his eyes now. 

“I believe I shall retire to my chambers early tonight,” Loki mumbled. He stood from his throne, his robe dragging along the ground behind him and his jewels chiming on his head. He turned to Ingrid and pointed to his crown. “My head seems to be exceptionally heavy. Perhaps I shall take off my crown. It…weighs me down and stops me from sleeping. Quite the pain, actually.”

“No!” Ingrid said. She gripped Loki’s arm and smiled sweetly. “Taking your crown off is a sign of disrespect in our culture. It is to be left on at all times, Your Highness.”

“I am King, I can do what I want,” Loki snorted. Ingrid pressed her lips together and shook her head.

“You do not understand, King Loki. Doing so would require punishment by death. I would have to administer it,” Ingrid said plainly. Loki sighed and shook his head.

“This is ridiculous. I shall listen this one time. But should I find myself unable to sleep tonight, it is your fault,” Loki said with a blue finger stuck out at Ingrid. The Queen curtsied and watched as Loki stormed out of the room. 

*

“You don’t look well,” Frigga said softly, placing a cup of tea in Alice’s shaky hands. She sighed and nodded, burying herself deeper into bed.

“I don’t feel well,” she admitted. “I feel sick and tired. I haven’t slept in two weeks.”

“You miss him terribly,” Frigga stated the obvious. Alice took a sip of her tea and nodded. She stared at the gold runes around the rim of the cup.

“Yeah,” she whispered. “I just want him back.”

“We all do,” Frigga said. Alice couldn’t stop the glare that was in her eyes.

“No, not all of us,” Alice hissed. Frigga looked away, her cheeks red with embarrassment. Frigga had done everything she could to convince Odin to bring Loki home but the King of Asgard continued to refuse. Every time Frigga spoke with him about it, Alice would listen in while hiding behind a pillar or around a corner. It would end in a fight – plates clattering and angered growls – and either Frigga or Odin would storm off. Alice watched the sadness erupt on Frigga’s face and she bit her lip. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to take this out on you.

“It’s quite alright. I’m just as frustrated as you are,” the Queen spoke softly.

“Is there nothing we can do?” Alice asked. 

“I’ve been trying to find a solution behind Odin’s back for weeks but he’s onto me. His ravens follow me around all day. Every time it seems I’m onto something, I’m interrupted,” Frigga said, running her hand down her face.

“I know the feeling,” Alice mumbled. Ever since Loki had left, she was looking for ways to bring him home. Her and Thor would brainstorm with the Warriors Three and Sif, trying to discover any solutions. As Frigga had noted, Odin’s ravens seemed to keep watchful eyes on all of them. No one could do anything without feeling the need to look over their shoulder.

“We will find a way,” Frigga said, patting Alice’s leg. She took the tea from Alice’s hands and placed it in her lap. She whispered some words under her breath and waved one hand over the cup. The tea within turned a shimmering yellow before fading into the tea’s natural color. Frigga placed the cup back in Alice’s hands. 

Alice stared at the drink with one eyebrow raised. “What did you do to it?”

“I placed a mild sleeping spell over it. It should help you relax enough to be lured into a peaceful sleep,” Frigga said, running a hand down Alice’s covered legs. 

“Thank you,” Alice whispered, eagerly sipping the drink. She needed sleep desperately. Being awake for two weeks straight had driven her deeper into illness. She found herself throwing up even more often and feeling soreness along her body. This, she hoped, would tame that.

Frigga left the room quietly as Alice buried herself deeper into bed. She ran her hand along Loki’s pillow and watched her wedding ring sparkle against the silk sheets. She wondered if wherever Loki was, he was wearing her ring too.

Alice tried to find comfort in the fact that when he left for Jotunheim, he was still wearing the band. It a symbol that even as he left, he was taking a piece of her with him. Yet, that little band gave her too much hope that her husband could come back to her. Clearly, he didn’t really want to leave Alice. If he did, he would’ve removed the wedding band and hid it away. But it was there and even Ingrid hadn’t persuaded him to remove it. 

Alice just hoped that was still the case now.

Shutting her eyes, Alice pulled Loki’s pillow closer to her chest. The smell of him was almost gone from being mingled with her own for too long. Faintly, Alice felt her stomach churning with sickness again. Forcing the feeling down, Alice buried her head in Loki’s pillow and waited for sleep to take her in.

*

“Stupid traditions,” Loki grunted, poking at his crown. He sighed and stripped his robe off, followed by his boots. He debated ridding himself of his pants but the night was particularly cold. He may need them.

That was one thing about Jotunheim he wasn’t sure he would ever get used to. He was a Frost Giant but he hadn’t embraced that side of him before. He wasn’t used to the cold but he put on his brave face in front of the crowds. 

Otherwise, the realm was nice. The people were…decent and the food was…decent. He had very few complaints. Still, he felt as though something was missing. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it but deep within him he felt this sort of pull towards something. Something that was missing, and wherever that something was, it was far, far away. He tried to ignore it but every so often it captured his attention enough to draw his mind away from the royal council meetings or reconstruction boards. 

Shaking his head, Loki wandered over to his bed and tried to ignore that ache that rested within him. He crawled under the blankets in his massive bed and he felt a distant feeling of loneliness. He shook it off. Loneliness meant weakness. And King Loki of Jotunheim was certainly not weak. 

After an hour of trying to sleep, Loki sat up from his bed and stormed across the room. He plucked some potions from his shelf and mixed them together. He chugged them down and groaned. Sleeping potions were simple but were certainly potent. He could already feel its effects taking him over. Stumbling back to bed, Loki landed on his stomach. He curled into the bed, his head rubbing against his pillows over and over again.

As consciousness left the King of Jotunheim, his crown slipped off…

The room Alice was in was unfamiliar to her. She looked around at the stone furniture and the barren walls. Overall, the only color she could distinguish was gray. Here and there, blue was spattered around. But mostly, it was all gray. And cold. 

“Alice?” Alice spun around and found her husband standing in the middle of the room. He was in his Asgardian form and his eyes were staring at her with tears in them. They were the color of the ocean, a cocktail of hushed forest greens and vibrant crystal blues. “I must be dreaming.”

“As am I,” she whispered. Without any further hesitation, she ran forward and jumped into Loki’s arms, his body cold against hers. She shivered but pulled his body closer to hers. She felt something wet against her shoulder and she realized he was crying.

“I’m so sorry, Alice,” Loki sobbed. “I hurt you. I left you. I never should have left you. I miss you so much and I cannot even realize it. It feels as if everything I feel is being suppressed by the urge for power. I cannot stand it. I need you in my life, my love. I fear I won’t live another day without you here with me.”

“Loki,” she whispered, pulling back. She cupped his wet face in her hands and realized that she, too, was crying. Her lip trembled as she stretched forward to kiss him. His lips slid easily against hers, the taste of their salty tears mingling with one another. Loki pushed her body backwards until it hit the stone wall. Alice gasped as his hands ran under her silk slip and pressed into her waist. Alice rolled her head backwards as Loki pressed his lips to her neck.

“I do not know how you got here or if you are even real but I must have you,” Loki groaned, his hips pressing to hers. Alice nodded and ran her hands down Loki’s bare back, her nails scratching his skin. 

“Loki, where is here?” she gasped out between moans. Loki looked into her eyes and sighed. She was so beautiful. His chest was aching with how much he missed his wife. He brought one of her hands up to his lips to kiss it. 

“My chambers on Jotunheim,” he said, his lips brushing against her skin. “My dreams must be vivid.”

“I guess mine are too,” she whispered. Loki dropped her hand and pressed his own to her cheeks. He swept her salty tears up with his thumbs and cleared his throat.

“I love you, Alice,” he said. “I didn’t say this enough. But I am so in love with you. I’ve broken your heart and I should never be forgiven. I want to come home. I want to be with you. I want you more than anything. Please, do not abandon me.”

“I need you to come back to me, Loki. I can’t get to you,” Alice said, her own arms wrapping around Loki’s neck. “You need to call out to Heimdall. You need to come back to me. I’m…I’m literally sick without you. I’m ill and I don’t leave our rooms. Our bed stopped smelling like you and I’m so alone.”

“You’ll never forgive me for leaving you, though,” Loki said, about to push away. Alice pulled him closer and sealed her lips to his. He melted against her, pleasure running through his bones. When she pulled away, she rested her forehead against his. 

“There is nothing to forgive, Loki. Just come home to me. I don’t care how you do it or what you look like when you do, just come back to me. I love you so much and I can’t breathe without you here,” Alice said quietly. Loki picked her up and brought her over to the massive bed. He laid her down carefully on it and pressed his lips to hers.

“I must have you,” Loki groaned, pushing Alice’s slip over her body. Her nipples tightened after being exposed to the cold air. Loki moved himself downwards and latched onto her bud, circling his tongue around her. Alice arched her back up and tangled her fingers in Loki’s hair. He moved onto the second nipple and took that one in his mouth as well. His hands groped her breasts before running down her body and cupping her cunt.

“Loki! I can’t wait for you. I need you in me,” she cried. Loki pulled himself off of her breast and kissed her then, two fingers sliding into her core. She poured around him, her hips bucking downwards to swallow more of his fingers. Loki moved his lips to her ear and moaned.

“My perfect wife, how I’ve missed this. I fear my body craves your touch and I don’t even realize it. I’m nothing without you,” Loki whispered, his lips peppering kisses along Alice’s neck. She spread her legs further as Loki pushed a third finger into her. Tears leaked from her eyes from how purely good it felt. It had been three weeks since she received any sort of love and attention and she needed it.

Loki’s fingers curled within her as his thumb worked over her clit. With a shout of his name, Alice came. Her grip in his hair tightened as his fingers worked her through her orgasm. Still repeating his name, Loki pulled his fingers from her and freed his cock.

Alice sat up, her hands running down Loki’s bare chest. She could feel his heavy breathing under her fingers as she looked up at him through her eyelashes. Running her hands down his torso, she wrapped one hand around his cock and started moving her fist over him.

“What did I ever do to deserve you?” Loki groaned, rolling his head back as Alice leaned forward and licked a stripe up him. He shivered underneath her. He could practically smell her arousal. Growling, he pushed her back onto the bed and placed his hands on her thighs. He spread her apart and licked a single stripe up her center before taking his cock in his hand and lining up with her hole.

“Loki! Fuck, I love you. Please, fuck me. I need your cock so badly,” Alice whimpered before Loki finally stuck the tip of his cock in her. Alice shuddered and practically laughed with relief at the feeling of his cock stretching her out. Loki moaned, his eyes fluttering shut as he bottomed out. Loki grunted and immediately began fucking her. He needed to feel her clench around him. He knew this was a dream but it felt so real and he needed the time to bask in that.

He wasn’t sure why he was feeling these things. He never normally felt these things outside of his dream – such lust, want, desire, and love. Loki wasn’t going to complain though. He was finally feeling clarity and it was all because of his wife. Oh, his glorious wife. She was whining below him, her body bending and spreading to accommodate him. Loki fucked her harder, his body resting heavily on top of hers. She shouted his name and it only motivated him to fuck her even harder.

Alice was feeling every curve and line of Loki’s cock. She wrapped her legs around Loki’s waist and pulled him in closer. He felt so good fucking her and she finally felt full. For the first time in weeks she felt good, full, fulfilled. She scraped her nails down Loki’s back, earning a desperate cry from her husband. 

“I must be deeper,” Loki grunted. He unwrapped Alice’s legs from around his waist and tossed them over his shoulders, folding his wife completely in half. He was right, this position was definitely deeper. Alice arched her back, gasping for air as Loki took her nipple in his mouth again, sucking her and biting the thin skin.

“Fuck, Loki, I missed this so much,” Alice moaned as his cock jabbed against her most pleasurable point. She reached up and tangled her hands in Loki’s hair, pulling his head so he could kiss her. He groaned into her mouth and she licked his moans up, tasting every inch of her wintery husband. Loki felt his orgasm approaching, quickly brought on by the eagerness and desperation of his lover. He wiggled one hand between them and circled her clit with his talented fingers.

“Cum for me, my wife. Shout my name. Give me something to remember you by,” Loki whispered, kissing Alice directly on her lips once more. She moaned into his mouth, her back arching. With one final swipe to her clit, Alice detached her mouth from Loki’s and screamed his name. She grabbed onto him, pulling him down to her as she came. Her orgasm was so violent and passionate that it sent Loki over the edge and he spilled into his wife.

He lay down beside her, his cock still wedged into her cunt. He ran a hand down her face and admired her.

“I love you, my rose. I do not know what is happening but I will find a way back to you,” Loki whispered. He kissed her forehead softly.

“No, I’m coming to you. I don’t care what I need to do. I will not lose you again,” Alice said, her green eyes glowing with determination. Loki rolled on top of her again, deciding he needed to kiss her for as long as this dream would last. His hips fucked into her again, earning a tired but eager moan from Alice. He continued to love on her until his vision became fuzzy and this beautiful world disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are always loved and appreciated <3
> 
> Fic requests are currently CLOSED. Visit me on tumblr @ shiningloki !


	9. Solutions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! I'm back from vacation and I'm excited to start writing again so here we go! Sadly, we're nearing the end of this little fic but there's still a bit more to come! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

The last thing Loki expected was to wake up chained to his bed. He opened his eyes and felt that tragically familiar weight on his arms. He tugged at the restraints and growled, thrashing dangerously.

“I told you not to remove it.” 

Loki looked up and saw Ingrid standing at the end of the bed, the crown hanging on her finger. Loki stared at her with wild eyes, his blue chest heaving. 

“I didn’t, you vile witch,” Loki hissed. Ingrid chuckled and sat down on the bed, brushing her hand along Loki’s stomach. He was certainly glad he opted to wear those pants to bed. In this rare moment of clarity, he could feel the danger in Ingrid’s touch. He stared at the crown knowingly, aware that this object in her hand had subdued him and held him under her control.

“Did you dream of her?” Ingrid asked. Loki pressed his lips into a tight line. He wouldn’t speak of Alice – not to Ingrid. She didn’t deserve to know about his wife. Ingrid watched him carefully, peering into his red eyes. She chuckled and twirled the crown around her finger. “No matter. I know the truth. You were calling her name out all night.”

“And if I was dreaming of my wife?” Loki said the last word with a bite, trying to remind the Queen of Jotunheim that he was, in fact, here against his will. Ingrid tossed her head back and laughed, holding the crown closer to her. 

“Well, if that is so, I could pay her a little visit to…rid her from your thoughts,” Ingrid said with a grin. Loki growled, his eyes flaring a vicious red, before he attempted to jump at Ingrid. She was worried for a moment because the chains clattered and groaned under Loki’s force. He used all of his strength to attack the witch but she slid backwards, watching Loki flail like a rabid beast.

“I’ll kill you! Don’t you dare lay a finger on her!” he snapped. Ingrid tilted her head and smiled.

“Like you did?” she asked sweetly. Loki fell back against the bed, his breathing ragged and his hair a mess. While he could, he opened his connection back up with Heimdall. In his mind, he whispered the guardian’s name, hoping it would catch his attention. Loki shook his head and bared his teeth.

“I realize now that it wasn’t me. You’ve been influencing me this whole time. My hand has been working under your control. I never hurt my wife. You were the one who forced me to do so. Those headaches, the pains, the anger, it was all from you, Ingrid,” Loki growled. Ingrid shifted back, lifting her chin higher so she could peer down her nose at Loki. “And you know what? You want to control me? It’s nothing that hasn’t been done before. I will escape it. I always do. I will not stay here on Jotunheim. I will return home to my wife, my brother, my family. Asgard is where I belong. Not here, not with you.”

“And what makes you think you’ll ever return there?” Ingrid asked with a tilt of her head. Loki chuckled and smirked.

“I am a master of escape, my dear. You should know that by now,” Loki said with a wink. He turned his head up to the ceiling about to shout Heimdall’s name to open the Bifrost but Ingrid was fast. She pounced on him and sealed her hand over Loki’s mouth. He growled and chomped his teeth, attempting to bite through her grip. Still, the Queen was hard.

In her palm she formed a seal over Loki’s mouth made of ice. He gasped beneath her, shaking as the block filled his mouth and wrapped around his tongue. She watched his eyes widened as she laughed above him. Leaning over him, she pressed a kiss to his forehead in an almost loving manner.

“Do not be so sure,” she purred. Sitting up straighter on him, she rested herself in his lap. Loki flailed, trying to break free from the chains. She grabbed the crown and fastened it on Loki’s head. She could see him trying to fling it off but Ingrid forced her hands on the temples of his head and pressed them inward. The crown molded inwards, forming little claws and digging into his head. Loki screamed, and even through the block of ice in his mouth, Ingrid could hear his strangled shouts coming from his mouth.

Then, he decided to use his magic to attack the headwear. Even with the red glow of his eyes, Ingrid could see the streaks of green forming in his irises, trying to link to his magic. Yet, with the more magic he used, the harder the crown attacked him back. The pain was overwhelming judging by the tears streaking down his cheeks and the way his muscles were tensing. Loki was indeed a persistent man, Ingrid mused. But he would never break through the crown’s power and even he was beginning to see that.

Loki was becoming weaker, his magical signatures fading and his body relaxing. Teardrops of blood leaked from his forehead where the crown had hooked itself in. She pressed harder until finally he became subdued and the black glow around his crown strengthened. Ingrid took a deep breath as Loki let himself fall backwards against the bed. He shook his head and blinked a few times.

“My apologies, Queen Ingrid,” Loki mumbled. His eyes had become dull, a less red glow about them. He looked around before settling his gaze on Ingrid. “It seems I lost my head.”

“Just a result of a nightmare,” Ingrid said, patting Loki’s leg. He looked around him as if he was observing the room for the first time. He sat up slightly and tugged on his chains.

“Unbind me. I have council meetings to attend,” Loki groaned. Ingrid sighed and patted Loki’s cheek. Realistically, she could continue to go about their day as planned. Board meetings, security checks, tax collections. But Ingrid was rather worried about Loki’s snap this morning. She didn’t know how the crown came off but it did and he was quite passionate in the wake of that. She knew he was controlled now but she worried that gaze of wonder he held every so often would overpower her magic. When Ingrid stayed silent, Loki looked at her with his brows furrowed.

“I cannot, Your Highness. You have been much trouble,” she said with a click of her tongue. Standing from her spot on Loki’s bed, she pressed a kiss to his forehead. When Loki sighed against her, she dug her claws into his head and watched the emotion fade from his eyes. When she pulled her hand away, he sat there silently, staring at the front of Ingrid’s dress. She smirked and patted his head like she would a pet. “Good. This shall calm you.”

*

Alice woke to the feeling of being pushed and jostled around. She shot up from the bed and locked eyes with Eya who was staring at her with shock and confusion.

“My Lady, you have been crying,” Eya stated. Alice reached up and felt her cheeks covered in tears. They hadn’t completely dried yet but they didn’t come off easily, meaning she was crying at some point during the night. Hugging her knees to her chest, Alice nodded and bit her lip. Eya simply watched the Princess with a cautious curiosity. “But why?”

Alice turned and looked towards the balcony window that looked out over Asgard. Shutting her eyes, Alice took a deep breath. Could she tell Eya that she was crying because of her beautiful dream? Could she admit that she was crying because she wanted it so desperately to be real? Shifting her legs, Alice didn’t feel that familiar soreness that accompanied fucking her husband. Obviously, the dream wasn’t real. It was just that, a dream.

But it felt so vivid. The way Loki looked at her and spoke to her, it was as he was really there. He told her that he was sorry and that he wanted to come home. He said he didn’t want to be on Jotunheim any longer and he would work towards coming back to her. But that last part puzzled Alice. If he didn’t want to be there, couldn’t he leave? He was King, he could do what he pleased. It only left a strange feeling in Alice’s chest that told her something deeper was happening that she couldn’t understand.

But then that strange feeling in Alice’s chest migrated south to her stomach. Pressing a hand to her mouth, Alice leapt from the bed and ran into the bathroom. Falling to the marble floor, Alice vomited into the toilet with harsh yacking and groans. Eya rushed to her side and held her hair back, twisting it around her fist to give her space.

After a few moments of dry heaving, Alice collapsed back onto her heels and groaned. She rubbed her hand down her face and let out a sour laugh.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Alice muttered. Eya collected a brush off of the counter and knelt beside Alice. Lifting a portion of her hair, Eya began brushing Alice’s locks. Alice shut her eyes and sighed. It felt better than she would admit.

“Are you sick often, Princess?” Eya asked. Alice hummed and began to shiver. Eya quickly got up and collected a robe that was hanging on the wall. She wrapped it around Alice’s body. Alice let out a weak “thank you” before Eya began brushing her hair again.

“Recently, yes. It’s really been ever since Loki left. I’m barely sleeping. I’m either starving or not hungry at all. Being away from him is really messing me up,” Alice mumbled, placing with a loose string on the green robe. “I don’t know how much longer I’ll survive without him.”

“I fear Prince Thor has had similar thoughts as you,” Eya whispered. Alice turned to her with her brows furrowed. Eya shifted forward so she was pressed to Alice’s side. “He tried to escape to Jotunheim this morning.”

“What?” Alice asked. Eya hushed her but nodded.

“Early in the morning, Heimdall caught sight of Loki again. Thor was with him apparently and he became outraged. He tried to open the Bifrost and he almost managed to but Odin interfered,” Eya explained in a hushed tone. Alice let her gaze fall to the ground as a lump formed in her throat.

“What did Heimdall see?” she asked. Eya shrugged and placed the hairbrush on the ground. Instead, she decided to comb her fingers through Alice’s hair.

“I do not know. I heard all of this in passing,” Eya said. Alice turned fully towards Eya and held onto the girl’s shoulders.

“Where is Thor?” she asked. Eya looked away and fidgeted in Alice’s grip.

“Princess…”

“Eya, please. You must tell me,” Alice begged. Eya sighed and slumped in Alice’s arms.

“The prison cells. Odin locked him away.”

Alice dropped her grip on Eya and fell backwards. Eya tried to help Alice to her knees again but the Princess shook her head. She laid on the ground, hands hugging her chest. She knew that Odin had threatened imprisonment for trying to open the Bifrost but she didn’t think it would actually happen – especially to Thor, none the less. She was sure the God of Thunder was invincible. 

“I need to see him,” Alice mumbled. “I need to know what Heimdall saw.”

Stumbling to her feet, Alice ignored the new wave of nausea that overwhelmed her. Eya caught her and shook her head.

“You are forbidden, My Lady,” Eya said sadly. Alice blinked at her twice, not really registering what was happening. Eya sighed and moved her hand down to hold Alice’s. She squeezed the woman’s hand and rubbed her thumb along the back of it. “Odin has forbidden you to see him.”

“How do you know this?” Alice asked with more bite in her tone than she intended. Eya winced but let out a soft sigh.

“Because I already tried to see him. He is in permanent isolation until Odin gives further notice,” Eya explained. Alice groaned and stepped away, punching the wall furiously. 

“How could he do this!” Alice yelled. She ran her fingers through her hair and screamed. “This makes no sense! Why is he stopping us from helping Loki? Jotun or not, he is still his son!”

“Jotun?” Eya asked. Alice turned to her with her lips parted, realizing what she said. Swallowing her fear, Alice nodded and stepped closer to Eya.

“Yes, Eya. Loki is Jotun. Odin adopted him when he was a baby. He is Laufey’s son,” Alice whispered. “I know I shouldn’t be telling you this but you need to know. You need to know why I’m so upset over this. Queen Ingrid has used Loki’s fear of his Jotun self to lure him back to Jotunheim and away from us. I need to get him back, he isn’t safe there.”

Despite the initial shock, Alice detected no sign of disgust or fear in Eya. Instead, Eya’s face became extremely determined. “You are my Princess, Alice. I follow your orders until the end of time. I am so sorry for what has occurred and I promise I will do everything I can to help you. We will find a way to get you to your husband, I swear it!”

Eya dropped to one knee, her fist pressed to her heart. On any other day, Alice could’ve rolled her eyes and laughed at the dramatics. All Asgardians were so over the top. But right here, right now, she needed this sort of passion. She needed that devotion. Sinking to her knees as well, Alice wrapped her arms around Eya and held her tightly to her body.

“I love you, Eya,” she whispered, running her hand along the back of Eya’s hair.

“And I, you, Alice.”

*

Until they figured out a plan on how to get to Thor, Alice decided it would be best to try and integrate back into normalcy. That, however, was impossible.

She was doing it mostly to avoid suspicion by Odin. The King watched her like a hawk. Even in the dead of night when Alice couldn’t sleep, she could hear his ravens crowing on her balcony, watching her when Odin wasn’t present. Alice began to wonder if that’s why Eya kept her in the bathroom to tell her about what happened to Thor. Considering Thor’s isolation, she was sure Odin didn’t want her to know about her brother-in-law. With the way things were going, one more relative torn away from Alice would send her into a frenzy.

But as time passed, it seemed like there was no hope. Alice showed up to dinners as she was supposed to. She still wore her wedding ring and dressed in green. Yet, she could see the way people looked at her. They didn’t know why Loki left but they did know he wasn’t coming back. To them, Alice must seem like a crazed, mourning ex-wife.

Alice wasn’t even sure if ex-wives were a thing on Asgard. Everyone who had their pairing simply stayed with them. She never heard of divorce on this realm and it made her wonder if that made her stand out even more. 

And she knew she stood out. Not only was she all alone but she was beginning to show physical signs of her despair. Her cheeks had hallowed in and her hair was becoming brittle. She didn’t think Asgardians could worry so much over hair loss but here she was, clutching strands of it as she bathed. 

Oh, and she couldn’t forget the pain in her abdomen she felt every so often. She wondered if it was from the way her ribs had bruised after her eventful night with her husband before he left. The healers did say there was damage to them. She didn’t want to go back to the healers and check, however. The last thing she wanted was to explain what happened again. She couldn’t even think about that night without crying.

So, Alice tried to find her way back into the fold. She appeared at council meetings and went on walks with Frigga’s ladies in waiting. She could hear the whispers and ghastly rumors when she was alone. She tried not to listen to what they spoke of her husband and her but those secretive conversations hidden behind pillars and in broom closets always brought her to tears at the end of the day.

It was one week since her conversation with Eya when the girl finally sought the Princess out. She ran into the library with her dress hiked up over her ankles and her breathing labored. Alice looked up from her book – a collection of Jotun myths – and promptly shut it.

“Eya?” she asked, standing from her seat. The girl pulled her into a hug and slipped something into her robe pocket.

“My Princess! I am so pleased to see you!” Eya pulled back with a kind smile. “I was on a walk today and thought of how nice it would be to come down and see you. It was such trouble to find you but I’ve finally found a way.”

Alice pressed her hand over her pocket to feel a heavy key in it. Nodding slowly, Alice turned away from Eya and exited the library, her next destination in mind.

*

“Thor!” Alice shouted as she approached his cell. Thor was sitting against the wall, tossing an apple between his two hands. Upon seeing his friend, Thor’s face lit up with a grin.

“If it isn’t my sister-in-law! I wondered when you’d find a way to sneak down here,” Thor chuckled. Alice raised an eyebrow and leaned against the golden barrier of the cell. She looked down at Thor and chuckled.

“For someone who’s in jail, you seem pretty damn pleased with yourself,” she noted. Thor laughed and nodded, taking a bite out of the glossy apple. He munched on the piece, swallowed, and looked back up at Alice.

“I won’t be here forever. Plus, I know Loki is alive and that is…for now, that is what matters,” Thor said, his eyes glassy. Alice knelt down beside the cell and pressed her hand to the barrier.

“I don’t know how much time I’ll have but I need to talk to you,” Alice said hurriedly. “What did Heimdall see when Loki opened their connection?”

Thor’s smile faded from his face and his expression became cold and distant. He adjusted himself on the ground and grunted. “Not much. All he saw was Loki chained to a bed and Ingrid standing over him. He was yelling at her. The connection was choppy though. It was if there was a veil over him to begin with that he wasn’t aware of. Only seconds later, the sight disappeared and he was cut off again.”

“How will we ever get him back?” Alice sighed, her head falling back against the barrier. She heard Thor shuffling in his cell. When she turned her head, he had aligned himself so his back was also to the barrier. Alice felt a pang of sadness in her chest. On her old timeline, this was how her and Loki became friends – sitting on opposite sides of his jail cell in Stark Tower. Alice tried to shake the thought away. Thor watched the sadness glaze over Alice’s face. He looked at her and smiled softly.

“I don’t know…but we will. I’m sure of it,” he said. Looking back ahead of him, Thor stared into his empty cell. “But we cannot stop trying. I don’t care how many times I’m jailed, for I know that if it was me in his position, Loki would do anything to save me.”

“Anything?” Alice asked with a raised eyebrow. Thor laughed and patted his thigh.

“Well, not anything. Not for me. He’d probably be the one throwing me into the midst of trouble,” Thor said through his laughter. He pointed a meaty finger at Alice and nodded. His laughter faded and left a thoughtful smile in its place. “For you, however, he’d risk everything.”

“He would, wouldn’t he?” Alice asked, more to herself than Thor. As she stared at Thor behind the glass, it suddenly hit her.

Loki had risked everything to save her before. And really, he was already in this position – just not on this timeline. It was either save Alice and get jailed or let her suffer and be free himself. Widening her eyes, Alice shot up to her feet with a gasp. She covered her mouth and started shaking.

It all made sense. She would be jailed for opening the Bifrost, that much she knew. But Heimdall had said there was another way around this. He couldn’t tell her what it was but there was absolutely a way to Jotunheim. Then, he proceeded to ask her about Vision. There would be no reason to ask her about him if it wasn’t for an explicit meaning.

Traveling. Vision. Heimdall wanted her to remember the stone. Not Vision’s stone though. Rather, he wanted her to remember that there was one stone in Asgard’s possession that she could use to save Loki.

Alice looked to Thor, who was now standing up with confusion written all over his features. Alice pressed her hands to the barrier and for the first time in a month, a real smile grew on her face.

“I know exactly how we’re going to get Loki back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are always loved and appreciated!
> 
> Fic requests are OPEN! Comment your requests below or shoot me a message on tumblr @ shiningloki !


	10. Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: Blood, violence, death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go guys! Alice's plan is going to be put into action! This chapter was intense and very fun to write so I'm excited to share it with you! Sadly, we're at the end stretch here. We only have ONE CHAPTER LEFT!!
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

After explaining the plan to Thor, Alice was positive the God of Thunder had gotten three shades paler. He blinked carefully a few times before finally looking away. He sighed and a ran through his beard, scratching his jaw.

“Are you sure this will work?” Thor asked, his blue eyes swimming with uncertainty. Alice nodded quickly.

“Yes. I’m absolutely positive,” she said. She looked down at her wedding ring and smiled. “It’s worth a try.”

“If this goes wrong…” Thor trailed off. Alice eyed him and felt the waves of nervousness radiating off of him. Thor was never known to be an anxious man so his uncertainty was tainting her excitement a bit. Clearly, this was a dangerous and risky plan. But they needed to try it. They had to. Loki was stuck on Jotunheim and this was their only way to get him back.

“Then we’ll both end up in jail. But, I think it’s worth a shot,” she said. “So, are you in? Or am I going at this alone?”

“I’m in. You know I’m by your side through everything,” Thor said earnestly. Alice felt her eyes watering and she placed her hand on the barrier that stood between her and Thor.

“I’m so lucky to have you as my best friend,” she whispered. 

“It seems that’s our destiny on every timeline, aye?” Thor winked. He paused and a mischievous smirk grew on his face. Alice wondered if he adopted that grin from his brother. “And I believe I know four other people who would love to join, as well.”

“I’ll be back for you soon,” she whispered. Thor put his hand over hers on his side of the barrier and winked.

“You better. I really need to pee.”

*

“Sif!” Alice said as she rounded a corner. Sif turned to look at her, her eyebrow raised.

“Princess Alice, you look particularly well today,” Sif noted. Alice hummed and looped her arm with Sif’s, walking her to a quiet alcove. She stayed quiet the entire time and Sif could see the mischief twinkling in her friend’s eye. Some part of her was worried but the other was relieved to see some emotion other than despair present in Alice.

When the two reached a quiet spot, Alice pulled Sif closer to her body. She stretched up and cupped Sif’s ear, dropping her voice to a whisper.

“Collect the Warriors Three and meet me in Thor’s chamber immediately. And be sure to dress warmly,” she whispered. Sif pulled back to look at her.

“Why?” Sif asked. Alice looked around and pulled Sif down to her height. Keeping her voice hushed, she smirked.

“To rescue Prince Loki of Asgard, of course.”

*

If there was one thing Alice was terrible with as a human it was navigation. She could get lost, quite literally, anywhere.

She had hoped that would improve after becoming an Asgardian. Loki did speak of them as if they were simply better beings, after all. Yet, even three years into her transformation, Alice found that directions were just never meant to be her forte. Hence why she was wandering halls in search of Odin’s vault for over an hour.

Finally coming to a dead end, Alice groaned and fell back against the wall. The issue was, she couldn’t just ask someone where the vault was. While she did have immediate access to it because she was a royal, the question would draw too much suspicion. With the way gossip traveled around this palace, news of the Princess inquiring where the vault was would surely get back to Odin faster than she could actually get to the vault.

Resting her head against the wall, Alice tried to recount her steps. She was in the…west wing? East wing? She wasn’t sure. She was…somewhere in the palace and that was about all she knew. The sounds of footsteps approaching pulled Alice out of her thoughts. She straightened her back and pretended to be doing absolutely anything other than what she currently was doing.

“Alice?” Frigga asked. Alice watched the Queen walk over to her with her hands folded over her stomach.

“Oh, Queen Frigga. It’s so nice to –“ 

“The vault is this way.”

Alice’s eyes widened as Frigga turned around and began walking. She wasn’t going to question how Frigga knew where she was going – and perhaps Frigga even knew her plan – but that wasn’t something she was going to ask. Clearly, Frigga wanted to help. Even though she couldn’t actually do anything to help without going against Odin, giving her daughter-in-law a tour of the palace surely wasn’t breaking any rules.

It took a few minutes to reach the golden doors of the vault, but when they did, Frigga shooed the guards away from their post. They nodded without hesitation and began walking down the hall. Once they were out of sight, Frigga pulled Alice close to her body and gave her a warning eye.

“Go in, get what you need, and get out quickly. I can only distract Odin for so long,” Frigga whispered. Alice nodded and turned away, her hand on the door. Before she opened it, Frigga stepped forward, her hands worrying around each other. “And bring my son home.”

“I promise, I will,” Alice said with a nod.

She tugged the doors to the vault open and stepped inside. It was quieter than she thought it would be. And much darker. If she was still a human, Alice probably wouldn’t have been able to see at all. Walking down a large set of marble steps, Alice noted the only light that was in the room was the glowing of torches. Deciding to add to the interesting ambiance, Alice lit her own flame in her hand and continued walking.

Once she finally reached the bottom of the steps, Alice walked through the rooms, guided by her flame. In the distance, she could see a faint glow coming from around the corner. Following the glowing, Alice stepped over broken pathways and around corners. She walked over a small river that ran through the vault until she finally reached what she was looking for.

The tesseract.

It had been so long since she dealt with any of the stones. In fact, she had never really used one. She traveled by tesseract with Loki at one point but he had done all the work – Alice’s job was just to visualize their destination. Yet at this very moment, she didn’t have time to read an instruction manual or even pretend that there was an instruction manual to read. She just had to follow what Loki had done so long ago. 

Extinguishing her flame, Alice picked up the cube and weighed it her hands. It wasn’t terribly heavy but she could feel a pressure digging into her palm. It was brighter than she remembered, too. Holding the cube up to her face, Alice shut her eyes and thought of the words Loki had said so long ago.

He wanted her to envision exactly where she needed be. He told her to feel what would be around her. What color would the room be? Where would it be located? Would there be people there? The cube began to glow in Alice’s hands and she could feel the space around her warping. 

Without any sense of warning, Alice was thrust into a void of darkness. She felt as if she was swirling through the air and her particles tearing and reforming. It was much less painful than the first time she traveled via the space stone but it certainly wasn’t easy.

When her feet landed on solid ground, Alice opened her eyes to find she was in Thor’s cell. He stared at her with wide eyes and began clapping. He stood from his spot on the floor and enveloped Alice in a tight, warm hug.

“You did it!” he cheered. Alice patted his back and pulled away. She placed his hand over the cube.

“We don’t have much time. We’re going back to your chambers to collect the others,” she said quickly. She began to relay Loki’s instructions of how to use the stone but Thor waved her off. He already knew all of this stuff. With a huff – and a faint sense of mortality again – Alice took control of the cube and transported them to Thor’s rooms.

“You did it,” Fandral gasped as Thor and Alice landed in the room. Thor grinned and patted Alice on the back.

“That’s precisely what I said,” he chuckled. Alice rolled her eyes but turned to Volstagg and Hogun.

“Did you two grab what we needed?” she asked. Volstagg nodded and pulled a heavy trunk forward. He clicked it open and began distributing heavy coats and tunics. The group pulled the clothes on quickly. Sif came forward, her furs already wrapped around her and she placed her hand on Alice’s shoulder.

“I felt you may need this,” Sif whispered. She opened the palm of her other hand to show Alice’s suit placed within it. Alice looked up into Sif’s eyes and threw her arms around Sif’s neck.

“Thank you, Sif. For all of this,” she whispered. Sif returned the hug but pulled away quickly. She snapped Alice’s suit bracelet around her wrist and bowed slightly before her. Thor came up to the women, his hammer now in his hand and a fat grin on his face.

“Shall we leave, ladies?” he asked. 

“And gentlemen,” Fandral said, pointing his sword at Thor. Thor patted Fandral on the shoulder and laughed.

“You’re right! I forgot that Volstagg and Hogun were here too,” Thor mused. Fandral rolled his eyes but strapped his sword into its holster. Alice plucked the tesseract from the table and held it in the center of the group.

“Now, I don’t know what Jotunheim is like. Thor, can you lead us there?” she asked. Thor nodded, his jovialness suddenly gone from his face. In its place was an expression of determination and anger. Everyone placed their hands on the cube and waited for space to envelop them. As the world around Alice turned dark, she just prayed that when they made it to Jotunheim, they’d be able to bring Loki home.

Alice then wished that Loki could hear her. In her head, she told him that she was coming and he didn’t have to be afraid anymore. She didn’t realize that she actually said it out loud, and the others would never tell her that she did, but they watched her with a careful eye. She didn’t look good – she didn’t look healthy – but they wouldn’t comment on that either. Alice needed this string of hope to hold onto. Truthfully, they believed they all did.

*

Jotunheim was fucking cold. That was really the only reaction Alice had.

She didn’t care about the blue mountains or the purple sky. She didn’t care about how ice crystals fell in giant, glassy clumps. She didn’t care that the snow was up to her knees. All she cared about was the palace that was in front of her and how her husband would certainly be in there. 

“Alice,” Thor said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at him, her body shaking even under all of her layers of clothing. Thor glanced up at the castle then looked back down at Alice. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“Yes,” Alice whispered, barely audible over the howling wind. “I need to get him back.”

“Princess,” Hogun stepped forward. He bowed slightly in front of Alice before coming closer. “Please, allow me to be your shield during this.”

“Hogun, that is sweet but I don’t need protection,” Alice said with a smile. Hogun’s face went grim and he shook his head.

“I know you are capable of protecting yourself but should anything happen to you, the Prince might go mad. You need to be kept safe,” Hogun stated. Alice mulled over his words, and while she didn’t like what he was implying, Hogun was right. If she appeared hurt, it could only cause Loki to spiral. Nodding, Alice agreed.

“Fine. But I need to lead the way in. He needs to see me,” Alice said. Hogun parted his lips to disagree but he quickly shut them upon seeing Thor’s glare. He nodded and bowed again, allowing Alice to walk them into the palace.

The castle was unusually quiet. There were a few Frost Giants who wandered past the Asgardians but they didn’t pay them much attention. The Jotuns were too busy doing whatever palace-dwelling Jotuns did. Alice kept her eyes in front of her, trying to figure out the best place to go. She heard Thor cough beside her and she turned to look at him. He was pointing down another hallway.

Unlike on Asgard, the throne room was in the heart of the palace. It was a complicated maze to get to. Jotun soldiers glared down their noses at the Asgardians but made no move to stop them. It seemed that the Asgardians didn’t appear to be a threat here, Alice mused. If only they knew they were about to steal their King and bring him home. 

When the group approached a set of doors made of ice that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, they knew that this had to be the throne room. Thor grunted and eyed the door. He looked to Alice who only nodded at him in approval. Puffing his chest, Thor pushed the doors open and strutted into the throne room.

The room fell silent as the group walked into the room. It was filled with Jotuns who all turned to watch the Asgardians. Reluctantly, the Jotuns parted to give the group room to move. Alice kept her head down but continued to search for Loki with her eyes. 

“Who dares interrupt the Council of Jotunheim?” Alice knew that was Ingrid. She could see the spears of the throne sticking up above the crowd. Her heart was racing in her chest as the last throngs of Jotuns parted to reveal the thrones.

And there was Ingrid, standing with her hands on her hips and a fire in her eyes. Behind her, Loki sat motionless on the throne.

Every emotion that she had been feeling within the past month came rushing forward. His eyes looked muted and emotionless. His skin was a deeper blue and his body was stiff. Alice wanted to run forward and throw her arms around her husband. She wanted to kiss him and never let him go. Yet, she held herself back. She needed to be patient. 

“The Prince and Princess of Asgard, of course,” Thor said with a malicious grin. Alice waited for Loki to respond but he simply stared ahead of him, not even his lips twitching. Well, that certainly wasn’t what Alice was hoping for. She expected him to at least look at the group, acknowledge them somehow. When his eyes remained unfocused on the ground, she took a step forward but felt Hogun fist the back of her coat. Stopping in her tracks, she turned to Thor and decided to let him take the lead.

“Well, you are not welcome here. You may run back home, little ones,” Ingrid said. A quiet chorus of chuckles rose up from the giants around them. Alice took a step closer to Hogun when one giant eyed her suspiciously.

“Actually, I don’t think we will just yet. I’m here to retrieve my brother,” Thor announced. Another chorus of interested murmurs came from the crowd but Ingrid silenced them with a vicious wave of her hand. 

“Retrieve the King of Jotunheim, you say? Let’s just ask him if he’d want to return to Asgard,” Ingrid said with a shrug. She turned around and stepped towards Loki. She placed a hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her with indifference. “My King, would you have any interest in returning to Asgard?”

“Asgard? No. No…” Loki said quietly. Alice’s heart tore into pieces when she heard his voice. Something was not right. There was no mischief in his tone. There was no…anything in his tone. He was completely emotionless. Alice narrowed her eyes and growled. Despite Hogun’s hand on the back of her cloak, she strutted forward.

“What have you done to him!” Alice shouted. Ingrid whipped around and bared her teeth at Alice.

“Go home, tiny girl. He’s no longer yours,” Ingrid hissed. She turned to Loki and touched him again. “Isn’t that true, dear?”

This time, Loki stayed quiet. His eyes remained focused on Ingrid but he wasn’t really seeing her. For some reason, Loki’s silence gave Alice hope that there was some part him – though, it was incredibly deep down – was fighting whatever was happening. 

Ingrid cleared her throat and leaned down, looking Loki directly in his eyes. “I believe you should address these Asgardians and tell them to go home.”

“Home…yes,” Loki mumbled. He stood from his throne and crossed his arms over his front. Alice couldn’t help but admire the way his bare chest glimmered in the throne room’s candlelight. No, not the time. Not the place. Loki cleared his throat and took one mechanical step forward. “Asgardians, return home. There is no need for you to be here. I am…happy?”

Loki turned to Ingrid on his last word, his eyebrow perked up. Alice looked between them and finally realized what was happening.

Ingrid was controlling him.

Everything seemed to fit into place. Ever since she turned him into a Jotun by force, Loki had been reckless. It vaguely reminded her of what he had been like under Thanos – his hand doing the actions but someone else influencing him to do those actions. It was just like now except a deeper, more psychological form. Ingrid had ingrained herself in Loki’s mind and she was pulling the strings. He was just the puppet on show that she hid behind.

Alice had to think and she had to think fast. The Jotuns around her were making thick, chirping noises. It had to be sounds of threat considering the Asgardians were not moving but were beginning to reach for their weapons. Alice stared down at her hands and a million ideas came to her at once.

“My Queen!” Alice shouted, causing the rumbling in the room to stop. Everyone turned to Alice, their red eyes glowing with interest. Even Ingrid had perked her eyebrow up in curiosity. Alice looked around before settling her gaze on Ingrid. “I have a bargain to make with you.”

“Bargain quick. I’m impatient with this,” she groaned. Alice took a few steps forward and carefully bowed before the Queen of Jotunheim.

“I would like to wager with you. If I can convince Loki to come home with us, you let him go. If he insists on staying, we will leave and never return,” Alice said.

“What are you doing?” Volstagg hissed from behind Alice. She held her hand up to silence him and she walked forward.

“If Loki truly wants to stay with you, he’ll turn me away. If he can turn me away, his own wife, then I can accept that he no longer wants Asgard or me anymore,” Alice said carefully. Ingrid considered this for a moment. Her hook was so deep in Loki that she was sure this pathetic woman would have no sway over him. After all, when she arrived, he didn’t even recognize her.

“Very well,” she said. Alice took a deep breath and approached the pedestal that Loki stood on. He watched her with a blank face, slowly killing Alice inside.

She thought back to when she, herself, was under thrall at the Organization. She had no idea who Loki was when he appeared to her but he was able to pull her out of the influence she was under. Then again, that was a much different situation. This time, there was magic involved and it wasn’t on her end. Though, she had something else that she could use in her favor.

“Loki,” Alice said, finally standing before her husband. He looked down at her with his head tilted.

“Little,” he said. Alice rolled her eyes and shook her head incredulously.

“Yes, I am little,” she whispered. “I’m also here to take you home.”

Loki scrunched his eyebrows at this. He parted his lips to speak but nothing came out. In his moment of pause, Alice reached forward and brushed her fingertips down Loki’s cold cheek. His eyes fluttered shut at the contact, and she wasn’t sure if that was because it was her touching him or just anyone touching him with some sort of affection. Either way, her heart ached in her chest.

She took a few moments to admire him, because if everything went wrong, this was her last chance to see her husband in person. Even in his trance, Alice could see the beauty that lined his features. His sharp cheekbones, his hooked jaw, his smooth neck. Smooth, aside from the raised Jotun markings – but even those were absolutely beautiful. She continued running her hands along Loki’s face, and when her fingers brushed over his silver crown, she felt a stinging in her fingertips.

Bingo.

Loki didn’t teach Alice much about magic. She had no capacity to learn it but she was curious. He had once told her that dark magic could be detected with only the gentlest caress. It would sting and then fade as if it was never there. When Alice felt that tingling in her fingertips, she knew exactly what was forcing her husband to act like such a minion.

“I love you,” she whispered. 

“Love?” Loki asked. Alice nodded and felt a single tear fall down her face. 

“Yes, love,” she said softly. Keeping one hand on Loki’s chest, Alice turned to Thor behind her. She eyed him carefully before turning to Ingrid. Raising her other hand, Alice summoned a boulder that was wedged in the wall to fly downwards and slam into Ingrid. The Queen slid across the floor, the rock resting heavily on top of her.

The Frost Giants behind Alice went up in rage. Hearing the clattering of swords behind her, Alice knew she only had a few moments to do what she needed to. Reaching up, Alice fastened her hands around the crown. Pouring life into her hands, Alice felt her fire ignite her palms. Loki flailed beneath her, trying to throw Alice from his body.

“I know it hurts but please, do this for me!” Alice shouted as she dug her fire further into the crown. Shutting her eyes, she pushed Loki backwards until he fell onto the throne. He was kicking beneath her, tears filling his red eyes and his screams bouncing off of the walls.

“What are you doing!” Thor shouted in the midst of battle.

“Do not kill the Jotuns! Just disarm them! We don’t need this escalating any further!” Alice called over her shoulder, ignoring Thor’s question. He continued to shout for answers as to what Alice was doing and why she was hurting Loki but she opted not to answer. She needed to focus.

Alice pressed more of her power into her palms until the red flames in her hands turned blue as they had only a few times before. With a shout, the flames licked over the crown and began to melt it. Loki was screaming, begging her to stop this torture. 

“I must do this,” Alice cried, hating seeing her husband in so much pain. There were scorch marks on his forehead from her flames but she knew he would forgive her afterwards. With one final push, Alice felt her fire consume the crown, and with a sharp clatter, the melted pieces fell to the floor.

Alice fell off of Loki and landed on her back. She stared up at her husband who was clutching his head in his hands. He was trembling and there was blood on his face. His eyes were covered and she could hear his faint sobs quieting.

“Loki?” Alice asked. The man on the throne froze. He looked up between his hands and saw her there, laying on the ground, staring up at him as if he was the only thing in the universe. He sat up further, leaning in closer and squinting his eyes. Behind her, Thor and the Asgardians were fighting off the hordes of Jotuns, but that didn’t even interest Loki.

“Alice?” His voice was quiet as he registered what was happening. Everything around him felt clear, easy. His senses were sharper again and his eyes were adjusting to the sight in front of him. Alice – his beautiful Alice – was in front of him and it was not a dream. Upon seeing the recognition in his eyes, Alice smiled and nodded, her face covered in a mixture of sweat and tears. Loki raised a hand to his mouth and gasped. “My rose.”

Leaping to her feet, Alice went to embrace Loki but found an icy arm wrapped around her waist. There was a blade pressed to her neck and she was being dangled off of the ground. All of the fighting in the room stopped as Ingrid stared at Loki, her red eyes wild.

“Ingrid, let her go,” Loki said carefully. He stood from his throne with his hands out in defense.

“No! She is the reason my plans keep failing!” Ingrid shouted. Loki kept his eyes locked with Alice as he stepped slightly closer.

“I will not let her hurt you, Alice,” Loki said. Ingrid laughed and dug the dagger closer to Alice’s skin. Alice could feel the blade piercing her ever so slightly. Coughing, Alice dug her nails into Ingrid’s arm. When Loki caught sight of the blood, it took everything in his power not to run straight for Ingrid. He knew that would only result in his wife’s death.

“Let him go,” Alice whispered. She fluttered her eyes shut, trying to ignore her spotty vision because of the blood seeping down her neck. “Kill me, it’s fine. Just break the curse and let him go home to Asgard. Please, take my life, but let him have his back.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re not the one I want,” Ingrid growled. She jabbed her chin out at Loki and laughed. “It’s him! It has always been him! He’s the one we need here. He’s the true King of Jotunheim!”

“Then as your King, I demand you let my wife go,” Loki hissed, his impatience growing.

“And as your Queen, I demand you sit back down on the throne,” Ingrid snapped.

“I do not listen to mind-hazing witches as yourself,” Loki said right back. Ingrid turned her face towards Alice, pressing her nose into Alice’s skin.

“You hear him, little girl? He is so angry for you. You’ve put him in a terribly bad way,” Ingrid whispered.

“Well, I am his wife, that’s my job,” Alice coughed. The room was beginning to swirl now with all that was happening. “Just like it’s my job to protect him at all costs. So, kill me. Let him leave. As long as he is safe, I don’t care what happens to me.”

“You’d risk for death for him?” Ingrid asked. Alice nodded as much as she could with the dagger still pressed to her neck. Ingrid chuckled and licked her frosty lips. “Fine then, let us see that put to the test.”

Thrusting one arm forward, Ingrid locked Loki in a chamber of ice. He pounded at the walls, his strength not enough to break down the solid barrier. Ingrid then dropped Alice and stepped away. 

“Fight me, Princess Alice of Asgard! We shall see if your life is worth the risk,” Ingrid chuckled as Alice stood shakily from her spot on the floor. She looked over at Loki and saw him pleading at her with his eyes. She couldn’t look at him any longer, not when she knew what was about to happen. 

“Don’t do it!” Thor shouted, but before he could step forward to fight Ingrid himself, more swarms of Jotuns overwhelmed the group. Alice grunted and let her suit cover her. She rolled her shoulders and ignited the flames in her hands.

“I thought you’d realize by now that I’d do anything for him,” Alice said. She flung a ball of flames at Ingrid but the Queen easily avoided it. Alice knew she was weak from the cut on her neck and the sickness that had plagued her for the past month but she couldn’t let that stand in her way.

Their fight was like a dance. Alice would throw flames and Ingrid would throw ice. They migrated closer and closer together, both of them feeling the temperature of the other’s elements. When they finally reached each other, it was a blur of movements. Alice was dodging and flowing flames however she could while Ingrid swiped her blade at Alice and tried to freeze her where she stood.

Behind them, Loki was beating on his fortress. The ice was beginning to crack under his fist. He needed to get out and save Alice. He needed to save them all. He continued his thrashing, screaming at anyone to try and get him out.

But everyone was busy. The Warriors Three were warding off a group of Jotuns. Thor was fighting three-on-one with a few Jotun soldiers. Sif was currently distracting a giant beast from entering the palace. And then, of course, Alice was going head-to-head with Ingrid, and from what Loki could tell, it wasn’t going too well.

When he came back from thrall, he could see the weakness his wife possessed. She was smaller, her face sunken in, and she was trembling. He could see her tiring as she used her powers. She was moving swiftly but it wouldn’t be enough. Ingrid would soon overpower her.

From across the room, Thor felt Mjolnir wiggling in his hand. It was as if his hammer was resisting him. Growling, Thor tightened his grip on the weapon and he was almost sure that Ingrid was enchanting him. But even he began to feel the tug that the hammer had. Mjolnir was vibrating, almost trying to tell Thor that someone else needed it. So, Thor let go of the hammer and he watched it fly across the room.

Right into Alice’s hand.

Alice didn’t think twice about holding Mjolnir. She practically didn’t even realize it until she swung her arm around and smashed it into Ingrid. The Queen of Jotunheim went flying backwards, and in her wake, Alice could hear the deep crackling of thunder.

“I’m…I’m worthy?” she questioned to herself, staring at the metal of the hammer. It felt right in her hand, practically weightless. 

Loki watched the hammer glisten in Alice’s hand with a heart full of pride. “I knew it,” he whispered, watching his wife test the hammer in her hand. Tears formed in his eyes as he watched the sight unfold. It was everything he hoped for Alice. She needed to see her strength and her power. He knew that she always had that worthiness, that greatness, that heaping authority within her. And now, as she stared down at Mjolnir in her fist, he knew she knew it too.

“She’s worthy,” Thor gasped. “Alice is worthy!”

The Warriors Three and Sif turned as much as much as they could to see Alice swinging the hammer in her hand. The gasped in unison as the frosty Ingrid came rushing forward, her red eyes wild because of Alice’s new gift. But Alice didn’t back down. She knew she had to stop Ingrid before it was too late. She might have had Mjolnir, but she hadn’t won yet.

The fight continued tirelessly. Ingrid shot ice at Alice while Alice shot fire at Ingrid. Alice would swing the hammer, beating Ingrid back as much as she could. When Ingrid fell before Alice after a particularly hard swing, Alice knew what she needed to do. She turned around and threw Mjolnir directly at Loki’s ice cage, hoping to break the walls. Much to their disappointment, it simply bounced off the ice and landed on the ground.

Ingrid pulled herself back up and began stalking towards Alice. Alice swept herself under Ingrid’s legs and blasted flames upwards towards the Queen. Ingrid hissed and fell back but caught Alice by her ankle. She pulled Alice up, moving her grip to her neck. Squeezing her fist, Ingrid stared into Alice’s eyes.

“You never stood a chance, even with the might of Mjolnir. Now, you shall perish,” Ingrid practically purred. Whipping her dagger out, Ingrid stabbed Alice straight through her chest. Alice screamed and thrashed, collapsing to the ground. She clutched her bloody chest and rocked back and forth, sobbing in pain. Ingrid kicked Alice over so she could stare at Alice’s face. “The life fades from you fast, Princess. Are you sure you are not still mortal?”

The moment Ingrid’s dagger pierced Alice’s skin, Loki felt the world around him collapse. His heart pounded so loudly in his chest that it was the only sound he heard. Everything else became blurred and numb. Loki stared at Alice on the ground, blood pooling around her, and he felt an anger that burned so brightly within him, he was sure his skin was going to burn off.

Alice could feel the blood pouring from her wound. She turned her head to the side, letting her cheek hit the stone ground. She watched Loki bash his fists against the ice barrier between them, his shrieks vibrating through her core. She saw Mjolnir lying on the ground and she opened her hand, summoning the hammer to her.

Mjolnir began soaring to her but Ingrid was too fast. She stabbed the center of Alice’s palm, causing the girl to screech and shut her hand. Mjolnir dropped to the ground, no longer being called to Alice. Ingrid laughed violently and stabbed her arm again, dragging the blade across her skin. Alice shook her head and wailed, begging for someone – anyone – to make the pain stop. 

That was it. Loki felt all of his rage pile up in him and he noticed the ice shifting beneath his touch. Searching within his undiscovered Jotun abilities, Loki found a way to push the ice away from him. He put pressure on the block and shouted, causing the ice to shatter under his touch. Without any hesitation, Loki ran forward. He grabbed the sword off of an unconscious Jotun and ran behind Ingrid. 

Ingrid turned and saw Loki right behind her. He grabbed her by her collar and held her face up to his. He spat in her face before leaning in and digging his fangs into her throat. Ingrid screamed and thrashed, banging on Loki’s chest. Loki ripped a chunk of her icy throat out and spit it across the floor. With one huge swipe, Loki impaled Ingrid on his sword. He dragged the blade across her body. Pulling it out, Loki tossed the sword onto the ground and grabbed the dagger from Ingrid’s hand. He thrusted the knife into Ingrid’s chest four times before dumping her lifeless body on the ground.

The Jotuns attacking the group stopped when they saw Ingrid’s dead body below Loki’s feet. They fell to their knees, their weapons clattering to the ground in surrender. Loki didn’t care about that though. He raced over to his wife’s body. She was shaking and her face was pure white.

“Alice, oh my Alice. I’m so sorry,” Loki cried. His hands hovered over Alice’s body. Her eyes were unseeing as they stared ahead of her. Loki heard someone running beside him. When Thor collapsed at Alice’s side, he grabbed Loki.

“Brother, you must heal her!” Thor yelled. Loki wanted to touch her, he wanted to heal his wife, but it was like his hands were frozen above her body. He was recalling so many things – her death on Kilron on their other timeline, the way he had bruised her so terribly in their rooms a month ago, and how she cried for him on the Bifrost.

“I cannot save her. I will only hurt her more,” Loki whispered. Alice groaned beneath him, her hands reaching out for him. Loki shut his hands into a fist and began crying. He was going to lose his wife yet again. 

Loki felt someone grab his shoulder and he turned to see Thor pointing Mjolnir at his face. With a growl, Thor pushed his brother forward.

“She is going to die if you do not help her! Now is not the time to mourn over what you have done in the past. That is gone and there is only now. If you let your fear control you, you will have a wife no more,” Thor growled.

“Loki,” Alice whispered, her eyes fluttering shut then opening again. Loki let out a sob and nodded. He leaned forward and pressed his hands to Alice’s chest and let his magic flow into her. She turned her head to him, her breathing labored. 

The last thing Alice saw were tears falling from Loki’s red eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are always loved and appreciated!
> 
> Fic requests are OPEN!
> 
> Visit me on tumblr @ shiningloki!


	11. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you realize how sad I am to see Loki and Alice's story come to a close AGAIN?? These characters are especially near and dear to my heart since they were the first characters I ever wrote a fic for. God, it's so sad. I don't want to say goodbye.
> 
> Well, I hope you all enjoy this final installment in Loki and Alice's story anyway. It's been fun guys :'). Thank you for reading and enjoy!

Alice couldn’t open her eyes no matter how much she tried.

She felt herself stirring, consciousness being returned to her body. She could tell that she was waking up but she felt too weak to do anything about it.

The first part of her that worked were her fingers. She curled them by her sides, registering something soft beneath her. A bed, she was in a bed. Moving her fingers slightly, Alice felt a pressure brushing above them. There was a blanket over her.

She faded in and out of consciousness, her body still trying to get her to rest. She didn’t want to rest anymore. She needed to know where she was, what happened, and if Loki was safe. Mustering all of her strength, Alice cracked her eyes open and took in her surroundings.

She was in her and Loki’s room on Asgard. Apparently, she was tucked into their bed as well. Based on the light in the room, it was night time. Alice blinked a few times, wondering how long she had been asleep for.

Turning her head slightly, Alice felt a sting of pain run up her shoulder to her neck. She suppressed a groan and the pain quickly faded into a dull throb. As the throb pulsed numbly, As Alice saw a figure sitting beside her bed. She kept blinking, trying to clear her vision, and when the figure took a solid form, Alice felt tears welling in her eyes.

“Loki,” she whispered. Loki’s back stiffened as he turned towards her, dropping the book in his hands. He shuffled closer to the bed, his eyes wide and his lips parted. Speaking of his eyes, they weren’t red anymore. In fact, they were the color of a sparkling ocean. His skin was pale and creamy again and there wasn’t a set of horns sticking out from his hair.

“You’re awake,” he said, both surprised and relieved. Alice groaned as she tried to sit up but Loki placed his hands in front of her, shaking his head. “Don’t. Just stay there. You need to rest.”

“You’re here. Loki, you’re here,” Alice said, her voice choked up with emotion. “But…what happened?” Loki leaned closer to her and rested his hands beside her body. She furrowed her eyebrows, wondering why Loki still hadn’t touched her yet. She tried to move her hand closer to his but remembered they were stuffed under the blanket.

“A lot has happened, darling. You’ve been asleep for a long time,” Loki whispered.

“How long?” she asked. Loki smiled and ran his hand down her blanket. He pulled it further up her body, burrowing her in warmth.

“About a week. I haven’t left your side,” he said softly. Alice’s jaw dropped and she wiggled under the blanket, trying to pull her arms out. Her chest, shoulder and arm were burning in pain and Alice hissed, falling back against the pillows. Loki reached out, ready to help her but his hands were frozen over her body. Alice stared at his hands and her lip trembled.

“Why won’t you touch me?” Alice asked. Loki parted his lips to speak but was cut off by his wife. “Are you still worried because of what happened? Loki, it’s not your fault. You need to stop thinking you’re going to hurt me. What are you going to do? Spend the rest of our lives avoiding touching me? Never holding me? No, I can’t live like that.”

Loki sighed and nodded, dropping his hands onto the blanket in front of him. He shut his eyes, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth. He then leaned back and ran a hand down his face, scrubbing away his stress.

“I’m just so afraid, Alice. When I hurt you, you were looking at me with such fear and distrust. Never had I seen that look in your eyes before. I hated myself for it,” Loki said, turning away from her. “I vowed to protect you until the end of my days. I didn’t do that. I failed you, not once, but twice. I left you here. After we brought you back, Thor said you’d been sick for a while. And I saw it on Jotunheim. You were so weak. It was because of me. If I was here, I could’ve done something. I’m so sorry.”

“Loki,” Alice sighed. She managed to wiggle one of her arms from the blanket and held her hand out. Loki stared at it but moved his hand forward. Their palms brushed and Loki let out a soft sigh. Alice tangled their fingers together and squeezed his hand. Loki smiled weakly and squeezed her back. Alice lay there quietly, simply enjoying the feeling of Loki’s skin on hers for the first time in weeks. “When I saw you on Jotunheim, you were being mentally manipulated by Ingrid. I realized that you had been ever since she came to Asgard. It explained all of your behaviors and actions.”

“Yes, I understand that, too,” Loki noted with a nod. “Her magic was more powerful than I could have ever anticipated. This was clearly something she had been concocting for years.”

“Speaking of her magic,” Alice said, looking down her nose. She shuffled a bit and pulled Loki’s hand closer to her. Looking down at his pale skin, Alice rubbed her thumb over it. “How did you get back into this form? I thought you couldn’t break through.”

“Well, that’s a bit of a long story,” Loki said, a hint of amusement in his voice. Alice settled into her pillows and looked at Loki, ready to listen to her husband’s velvety voice. “After Ingrid nearly killed you, I went rather berserk. I killed her, a bit brutally, but I’m not really ashamed about that. She deserved it.”

“That’s what she gets for fucking with my husband,” Alice hissed. Loki chuckled and patted Alice’s hand.

“And that’s what she gets for fucking with my wife.” Loki paused, taking in Alice’s features for a moment. He missed moments like this so deeply. Shaking out of his reverie, Loki continued with his story. “Anyway, I found out that my tricky little wife stole the tesseract from Odin’s vault. I’m impressed by the way, but stealing the cube is my job so please, leave it to me next time.”

“Asshole,” Alice snorted. Loki laughed and brushed his other hand over Alice’s arm. 

“No, dear. A dick, yes, but never an asshole. Regardless, after I was able to patch up enough of your wounds, we transported back to Asgard. For some reason, we landed right in the middle of Odin’s very crowded throne room. Perhaps it was because of our haste to return that we couldn’t visualize a more private place,” Loki said, his voice trailing off. He cleared his throat and licked over his lips. “Everyone saw me for as I truly am. I couldn’t hide it. And I just looked back at them. What a sight it must have been. I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t even think of anything. It was then that Frigga stepped in and made some majestic speech about equality and such. But I could see it in them, the confusion, the fear.”

Loki paused, his eyes glassy and distant. He could remember every moment of his return clearly. Loki and his entourage appeared in the middle of the throne room, Alice’s bloody body gathered in his arms. Loki had stared at the crowd, only just realizing that he was still blue with horns. Frigga’s hands were on his shoulders in an instant, and she declared that anyone who thought her son was lesser than them solely due to his heritage was living in a backwards mindset, a time of the past. Loki had zoned out then, his gaze returning to his unconscious wife. At that moment, he didn’t care what the Asgardians were whispering or thinking – his wife was all that mattered.

Alice could see the way Loki’s mind was wandering. She tightened her grip on his hand, bringing him back to the present. He blinked a few times and smiled softly in her direction.

“I’m so sorry,” Alice whispered. She got her other arm free and brushed her knuckles over Loki’s hand. He took her other hand in his and squeezed it. Under his fingers, he could feel the skin of her palm puckered and raw from where Ingrid had stabbed her.

“And then, something a bit miraculous happened. Everyone in that throne room just…nodded. They bowed their heads, murmured their allegiance, and continued on with their day,” Loki whispered. “They were still afraid but they stayed in that room. They showed me respect. After that, I rushed you to the healing rooms where they worked incredibly diligently on you.”

“You couldn’t just let someone else bring me to the healers?” Alice asked. Loki actually blushed and shook his head.

“I don’t trust anyone with you, not when you were like that. Maybe Thor could have taken you but…no, I just couldn’t do it. You were…stable at the moment. I just couldn’t bear to have you out of my sight again,” Loki whispered. “Alice, I saw visions of you dead on Kilron as I held you. I couldn’t lose you like that again. I lost you too many times. First to the Organization, then to Evig, then Ingrid. I couldn’t do it again. I couldn’t.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Alice said warmly. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

“Of course, my love. Anyway, then Frigga pulled me aside once you were in a safe condition. For hours, we were pressing magic into my body and finally, the spell broke. It seems with Ingrid’s death, her spell was weakened. Now, I can freely shift back and forth,” Loki said.

“I’m so happy for you.” Alice smiled. She paused and bit her lip carefully. “I do have a question though.”

“What is it, dearest?” Loki asked, leaning forward towards her. Alice blushed and looked down at her scarred palm. 

“How was I able to lift Mjolnir?” It was a question that she didn’t have time to ask on Jotunheim. Loki chuckled and patted her hand, watching the amazement in her eyes.

“Because you’re worthy. That is all,” he answered simply. 

Alice rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Okay, but why?”

“It’s hard to say, but I have my suspicions,” Loki mused. “You have always put Asgard first. Odin saw it when you went back to save me when we were escaping Asgard on our last timeline. He saw you making sure the Asgardians were on the ship before yourself. Then, you manipulated time and space just to save not only me, but Asgard as well from Thanos. You broke his laws just to bring me back to Asgard now. He sees your strength and your will, my love. He can see the love you hold for Asgard even when Asgard has done nothing but neglect you at times.”

“I thought Odin hated me,” Alice grumbled. 

“He might,” Loki laughed. “But that doesn’t mean he does not respect what you’ve done for Asgard. And for that, he believes you to be worthy. It’s also probably that worthiness that’s helping you evade jailtime.”

“Yeah, I forgot about that. I guess you found out about his absurd rules with bringing you home,” Alice said meekly.

“Mm, yes, Thor told me. Look at you, my criminal wife. Stealing the tesseract, risking going to the dungeons. What a mischief maker. Good thing you’re worthy. It’s getting you off the hook, darling,” Loki jested.

“It should be you,” Alice said suddenly, her voice choked up. “You are worthy, Loki.”

“I may be, but I don’t need to lift a silly hammer to prove it. Perhaps at one point that was what I wanted but not anymore,” Loki whispered, his face soft and kind. “I have you. Is that not proof of my worthiness?”

“You are such a sap,” Alice sobbed lightly with hints of laughter in her tone. She untangled one of her hands from Loki’s and reached forward to brush it along his face. Loki clasped her hand in his, holding it against his face. He pressed his cheek into her palm then turned and gave it a kiss, his lips grazing her scar. His wistful smile faded from his face, a frown taking its place.

“Alice, I must apologize to you. This past month, I have made your life horrendous. I know that I was under an influence but it doesn’t excuse my actions. This doesn’t forgive what I did.” Loki stood from his seat and proceeded to kneel beside the bed. He took both of Alice’s hands in his and held them to his chest. “My beautiful wife, my rose, I am so sorry for what has happened. I abandoned you when you tried to show me love. I pushed you away and left you defenseless. I broke your heart multiple times and I fear that I may never mend it. For this, I am so sorry. I vow to never hurt you this way again. I love you more than I have ever loved before and I will spend the rest of my life making up my wrongs to you. I beg for your forgiveness, and I understand if you cannot give it to me, but I will spend every second of our future trying to show you that I am worthy of your trust once more.”

“Loki,” Alice choked out, tears in her eyes. She wrapped her hands around Loki’s wrists and hauled him up onto the bed. He gasped at her sudden wave of strength but settled above her. She reached up, wrapping her arms around Loki’s neck as she kissed him. Loki hesitated, his lips hovering above hers before she tugged on his hair. Loki groaned and fell into the kiss, pushing all the love he felt into it. He did his best to keep himself raised above Alice’s body but he could feel her tugging him downwards.

“This is unwise. Your body is still healing,” Loki groaned against her lips. Alice giggled and shook her head, pressing her lips to Loki’s briefly.

“I don’t care. It’s been over a month since I’ve been able to kiss you,” Alice whispered. Loki froze and sighed. Perhaps she shouldn’t have brought that up. 

“Alice…” he trailed off. Alice pressed her finger up to Loki’s lips and glared at him.

“No. No more of this self-pity,” she said sternly. Loki widened his eyes at his wife’s fierce tone. “Yes, mistakes were made but it wasn’t you who had full control over your mind. You left and I was miserable but you’re here now.”

“I am, darling, and I’m here to stay,” Loki whispered with Alice’s finger still pressed to his mouth. He curved his lips and kissed the tip of her finger, earning a blush from Alice.

“Good. What happened is in the past and I forgive you. What matters now is you working on this fear of losing me. I became Asgardian for a reason. I’m stronger now, I’m living the rest of your life with you. I’m not going anywhere,” Alice said quietly. She reached up and pressed a kiss to Loki’s cheek. “Truth be told I am terrified of losing you, Loki. But that’s why we go through these things together. You saved my life on Jotunheim. You’re my lifeline, Loki, and I love you so much.”

“I love you,” Loki groaned, dipping down again to kiss his wife. She gasped against his lips, pulling him completely against her. Alice rolled her hips upward but let out a frustrated sigh. Loki pulled back, mischief twinkling in his eyes. “Having trouble there, darling?”

“Help me get these blankets off,” she huffed. Loki laughed and pulled the blankets off of his wife, running his hands down her body. Alice arched into his touch and ran her hands along his body. “I need you, Loki. Please, get rid of these clothes. I want to make love to my husband.”

“You have no idea how much I missed you,” Loki sighed happily, waving their clothing off with magic. He glanced down at Alice’s body, viewing her naked for the first time since their incident. Her bruises had faded but there was plenty of scarring across her body from her fight with Ingrid. Loki felt Alice place her finger under his chin, forcing him to look up.

“I’m alright. I’m here. I’m safe.” Alice emphasized the last word. Loki nodded, tears falling from his eyes as he took Alice in his arms, kissing her and holding her. He ran his hands down her side as he fell beside her, pressing her body tight against his. When his fingers reached her center, he paused. He looked up at her with concern.

“Will you tell me if I hurt you?” he asked in a small voice. Alice wanted to roll her eyes and promise him that he’d never hurt her but she knew that wouldn’t go over well. Instead, Alice pressed a soft kiss to his lips and nodded, promising she would tell him if she felt any twinge of discomfort. 

Loki then dipped a single digit into Alice’s core, her body warm around him. She sighed in relief, burying her head into the crook of Loki’s neck as he worked his finger in and out of her. She writhed against him, her sore body stretching from her movements. When Loki pushed a second finger in, Alice gasped and tangled one of her hands in Loki’s hair.

She brought him down to kiss her, pulling his body slightly on top of hers. He hummed into her mouth, tongue licking up her moans and swiping them over her lips. Her cheeks were flushed and her heart was pounding as Loki curled his fingers within her.

“Feels so good,” Alice whispered, her body burning with sensitivity. She had no idea why her body was so sensitive but it heightened all of her reactions. Loki pulled his lips from hers to bite down on her nipple but Alice let out a yelp. He looked up, his fingers paused within her.

“Are you okay?” he asked. Alice nodded and looked down at her breast.

“Yeah…just a bit sensitive I guess,” she murmured, still feeling the tingles of Loki’s touch running through her chest. He scrunched his eyebrows together and placed a soft kiss on her nipple. Alice giggled, “much better.”

Loki rolled himself on top of Alice, one hand stroking his cock while the other worked inside of her. He spread his fingers in Alice’s cunt, pumping and twisting her tight hole. Alice mewled, grabbing the sheets beside her and moaning beautifully. This was a sight Loki never wanted to forget. Overcome with the urge to love her, Loki swept down and kissed her, moaning her name into her mouth.

When Loki was sure he couldn’t wait anymore, he pulled his fingers from Alice’s cunt. He popped them into his mouth, groaning at the sweet taste of his wife. She tasted slightly different, perhaps a bit sweeter, but he was sure it was just because he had gone so long without her. As Loki lined his cock up with Alice, she pressed a hand to his chest.

“Wait,” she said quietly. Loki looked up at her and saw a red flush covering her face. “Loki, I want to see you, the real you.”

“Alice…”

“Please, Loki. I want to be with you as you are. I love you, every side of you, and I want to worship the man who saved my life,” Alice whispered. Loki stared at her reluctantly but slowly nodded. He shut his eyes and let his Jotun form wash over him. Alice watched as the twisted horns appeared on his head and the ridges grew on his skin. When he opened his eyes, they were a soft ruby color. She reached her hand up and brushed her thumb over his cheek. “So beautiful.”

“I…Gods, I love you so much,” Loki said, falling down to kiss his wife as he slid his cock into her. She gasped into his mouth, her fingers digging into his shoulders as he began to pump slowly in and out of her.

She wanted her husband to go faster but she knew that this was the only way he’d be comfortable with this. He needed to take it slow in order to ensure that he didn’t lose control and hurt her. And while Alice would have liked a bit more ferocity in his thrusts, she knew she needed this too. She needed the sweet, tender lovemaking that she had gone so long without.

Burying her face in Loki’s neck, Alice began chanting his name. She leaned up and kissed his neck, whispering sentiments of love as he went. Loki groaned, her name falling from his lips as he swore to love her forever. It was extremely emotional and Alice found tears in her eyes. When Loki saw her tears, he paused his thrusts. She shook her head and laughed despite the tears falling down her cheeks.

“Everything’s okay, Loki. I just love you so much. I’m so happy,” Alice wept with a smile on her face. Loki leaned over her and cleaned her tears with his lips, licking over her cheek occasionally with his tongue. Giggling beneath him, Alice began pushing herself back on his cock. Loki got the hint and began fucking her again, dragging his cock to the deepest point within her with slow, hard thrusts. 

“I dreamt of you on Jotunheim. It was the only night of clarity I had. You were in my chambers and we made love for hours,” Loki purred. “I wonder if we could challenge that now.”

“I had the same dream. The room was made of stone and your touch felt so real. I woke up swearing I’d feel your cock in me still,” Alice said with a gentle stutter as Loki kissed her neck. He paused and looked up at her with his red eyes, his hips still driving his cock into her. She fluttered her eyes shut and whimpered as he hit a particularly rough spot.

“It seems you and I are bonded beyond just our marriage. I believe we truly met in our dreams,” Loki said, followed by a throaty moan.

“Is that even possible?” she gasped.

“Mm, I’ve only heard stories but apparently, it is so,” Loki purred, biting down softly on Alice’s neck. He pushed one hand in between them and circled her clit with his blue thumb. “Now cum for me, my good girl. I want to see you fall apart.”

“Oh, fuck, Loki!” Alice practically shouted through her tears and moans. Her orgasm crested and crashed, washing over her like a cold ocean wave. With her tight walls fluttering and constricting around Loki, he, too, fell over the edge and came inside of her. He grunted out his love for her as they came down from their highs.

He pulled out of his wife slowly then fell beside her. He pulled her to his side and he nuzzled himself against her. She turned in his arms and ran her hands down his blue skin.

“You know, my favorite color might now be blue,” she mused. Loki let out a soft laugh as he picked his head up and stared into her forest irises.

“Green is still my favorite,” Loki whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

A knock on the heavy doors brought the couple out of their dreamlike state. Loki groaned with half a mind to tell off whoever was disturbing them. Yet, this was the first time Alice had awoken in a week and it was probably for the best to answer whoever was knocking. Loki rolled out of bed, summoning his Asgardian form back along with some robes. Alice could see the relief of being in this form come to his eyes, and while she couldn’t say she had any preference for one over the either, she knew that this was how Loki felt comfortable. Yet, he was learning to adjust. He would come to terms with who he was. He would be okay.

Loki summoned a robe to cover Alice as he pulled the blankets over her. He kissed her forehead while returning to his seat beside her bed. He turned over his shoulder and called for whoever was knocking at the door to enter. The head healer walked inside and bowed before coming to the bed.

“Look who’s awake,” she said, patting Alice’s foot gently. Alice smiled and sat up further in the bed.

“It’s about time,” she laughed. The healer looked at Loki and nodded.

“The Prince did say resting in your bed rather than the healing beds would help. Perhaps he was right,” she mumbled. “Now, I have to run over some results that we got when patching you up, dear. I wanted to wake until you were awake before sharing the news.”

The healer ran over typical things. Alice was not to put too much pressure on her upper body while the stab wound was healing. She would be experiencing some dizziness and exhaustion while her body healed. Considering she was still two years away from gaining the full abilities of an Asgardian, it would take her a week or so to get back to normal. None of her damage would be permanent and the scaring would heal quite rapidly, especially if Loki assisted in the cosmetics of it with his magic. When the healer got to the end of her news, she cleared her throat and looked between the couple.

“Now, Thor said that you had been feeling unwell these past few weeks,” she said. Alice nodded with a blush on her cheeks.

“Yes, it was just after Loki left. I had spent so much time with you lot that I didn’t want to bother you with some stomach pains,” Alice said. Loki glared at her out of the corner of her eye and she knew she’d get in trouble for not taking care of herself. The healer nodded and crossed her arms over her waist.

“Well, with that in mind, we began running tests on your blood to make sure everything was alright. We put you into the soul forge while we had some moments of privacy,” the healer said while giving Loki a pointed look, scorning him for hovering over Alice every second of the day. She turned back to Alice and smirked. “And what we found was pretty…interesting.”

“What was it?” Loki asked, his hand squeezing Alice’s. 

“It seems Queen Frigga’s spells on Princess Alice must have worked because,” the healer paused and smiled. “There was a heartbeat inside of Alice’s stomach.”

“What?” Alice whispered, her voice cracked and low. The healer bowed.

“Congratulations, Your Highnesses. It seems Princess Alice is pregnant.”

Loki was staring at Alice, tears in his eyes. Alice’s hand was over her abdomen and she was running it along the blanket. She looked up at the healer with parted lips.

“This…it…the spell worked?” Alice questioned. The healer nodded and eyed Alice’s covered stomach.

“Queen Frigga was so unsure because she performed it so long ago and you have shown no successful results until now.” 

“Does Frigga know?” Loki asked. The healer shook her head with a faint smile.

“I believed it would be best to tell you first,” the healer said. 

“How far along am I?” she asked. The healer bobbed her head from side and side and shrugged.

“Just over a month,” she said with a smile. Alice looked to Loki, and they both realized that it must have been the night he had taken her as a Jotun. As Alice stared at her husband, a bout of nervousness dawned on her.

“But…wait, that’s impossible. Isn’t it a bit too early to detect a heartbeat?” Alice asked, her gut suddenly filled with a loss of hope. 

The healer clicked her tongue. “You seem to forget that the Prince is not human and neither are you anymore. This pregnancy will be very different. Speaking of which, there is something you two must know.” 

“What is it?” Loki asked eagerly, clutching his wife’s hands. Alice looked at him, soft inside from how adamant he was on learning all that the healer had to say.

“Since Alice still has some time left to her transformation, this pregnancy may be a bit hard on her. After all, her body was believed to be unable to conceive and carry for so long that this will be a bit of a shock to her system,” the healer explained.

“Is that why I was so sick?” Alice pondered. The healer nodded shortly.

“Yes, indeed. The lack of care to your body didn’t help, though. Regardless, you are carrying a child that is both Asgardian and Jotun, perhaps with even some human genetics mixed in there from your previous state of being. This will be tough to carry through with, my Princess.” The healer watched Alice carefully, but the girl didn’t even flinch. She nodded eagerly with her lips pressed into a tight line.

“I’m ready,” she whispered, one hand pressed protectively over her abdomen. 

“Good. And you,” the healer quipped, looking directly at Loki. “You must be at your wife’s side through this. As I said, it will be hard for her to carry this child. We have seen nothing like it before.”

“I do not plan on making the mistakes I once did,” Loki explained.

“I understand it wasn’t your doing, Prince Loki. Queen Frigga explained it all. Still, we all must be careful with the Princess now. Her body will be going through some drastic changes, both for the child and for her own self,” the healer said, eyes softening as she watched Loki tighten his hold on Alice’s hand.

“I would do anything for her,” Loki whispered, looking down at his and Alice’s conjoined hands. He watched Alice’s thumb swipe over his knuckles lovingly.

“I trust that is the truth. I shall take my leave now. Please holler if you need anything else. Congratulations.” The healer bowed slowly. 

“Thank you,” Loki acknowledged. 

With that, the healer turned and left. When the door closed, Loki pounced and landed beside his wife. He gathered her into his arms and began crying with joy. He pulled away and kissed her, his heart pounding in his chest. Alice laughed against him as she pushed her blanket down to expose her stomach. Loki untied her robes and watched her bare skin come into the light. He ran his hands over her stomach before looking back up at her.

“It worked,” Loki whispered in awe. “Frigga’s spells worked.”

“I never thought this would happen,” Alice gasped. She placed her hands over Loki’s and smiled at him. “We’re going to be parents.”

“We are,” Loki said, stretching forward and kissing Alice. “These next few months will be difficult but you are so strong, Alice. You will be able to do this, I’m so sure of it. I will stay by your side through it all.”

“I know you will,” Alice whispered, moving one hand up to cup his cheek. “You’re going to be the best father, Loki.”

Loki couldn’t help the tears that formed in his eyes as he looked at his wife. It was as if their lives had fallen into place. When a stray tear fell down his cheek, Alice swiped her thumb over it, wiping the drop away. 

“We just have one thing left to do,” Alice whispered. Loki furrowed his dark brows and tilted his head ever so slightly. Alice smirked and kissed his cheek. “We have to tell Tony.”

“You’re trying to get me killed before I even meet our child, aren’t you?” Loki teased, rolling himself over so he could press kisses all along Alice’s face. She was laughing under him, kicking her legs as his hands wandered up and down her sides, fingers teasing and tickling her waist. Finally, once Alice was out of breath with her cheeks flushed the color of roses, Loki pulled back and pressed his hands firmer to Alice’s stomach. He moved his gaze between her stomach and her face a few times before settling on her green eyes. “I love you so much. I love you both.”

“We love you too.”

In that moment, all of the pain that Loki and Alice had gone through didn’t matter. They were here with each other, with their unborn baby, and they were safe. It wasn’t the end of their suffering, for they had thousands of years left to come. There would always be another challenge to push through. There would always be someone trying to hurt them and tear them apart. Their lives would never be easy simply because of who they were. 

But for now, all that mattered was the love flowing between them and the flicker of hope that, in the end, things were always going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys always nail the shock elements. Yup, Alice is pregnant! We all saw it coming. Kudos to those who have been calling me out on it since day 1!
> 
> Also did you really think I would say goodbye to these characters forever? Hah no. Loki and Alice will surely come knocking back on my door soon enough to tell another one of their stories. I don't know when that will be but I'm excited for it. Speaking of familiar characters, Anna and Tom have REALLY been busting my chops to have another story written. They'll be back very soon ;)
> 
> Thank you to those who stuck with me through this short little fic and I'm excited to share more of my works with you! 
> 
> Comments and kudos are always loved and appreciated!<3 Visit me on tumblr @ shiningloki !

**Author's Note:**

> What did you think? Are you interested in seeing this progress? Let me know below! Comments and kudos are always loved and appreciated <3


End file.
